Royal Blue
by CursedRedRose
Summary: Victor Nikiforov, Crown Prince of Russia and heir to the throne, is tired. Tired of the trappings of his life and bored of his duties, he feels like a bird trapped in a gilded cage. That is, until a Japanese envoy whirls into his life and becomes the new light in his life. Royalty AU where Victor is smitten, Yuuri is sassy, both Chris and Phichit are proud and Yuri is just done.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello and welcome to my newest Yuri on Ice story! This one is a royalty AU because I'm a massive history nerd and I love looking at royal families and customs, particularly that of Russia._

 _This isn't meant to be a historical AU because I didn't put it in another particular time period, so it's basically going to have whatever historical titbits I find interesting in it. Hope you enjoy!_

It was far too hot to be wearing these ceremonial robes, Victor thought crossly, opening the front of his long robe in the hopes of somehow getting some cool air to reach his body. He felt like he had been standing on these steps for a thousand years and still there was no end to his torment as the ballroom was not even half full yet. Russian tradition dictated that the royal family could only formally start the celebrations once all the guests had arrived and until then, they had to make a show of their might, their wealth and strength on display to prove why they were the ruling family. Unfortunately for Victor, that meant they had to stand on the steps before their thrones, acting like ice statues as they surveyed the room in their full regalia, under the eyes of all of their subjects and every moment was sheer torture.

Victor had never been a patient man and this truly was stretching the limit of his sanity. On the outside, he effortlessly portrayed a perfect picture of the famed Crown Prince, his posture immaculate, his robes flawless, his face perfectly controlled. Inside, however, he felt like screaming. Against his father's strict orders, he had been out at the lake all day, practising his jumps and spins until his legs had gone numb from the cold and his brother had come shouting and swearing at him to get inside. He loved skating and felt truly at home when he was dancing on the ice but right now he was paying sorely for his passion; his legs had since regained feeling and were aching so much, it felt like they were throbbing in time with his heartbeat and his joints hurt so much, he wondered how he was still standing after so long. His robes were heavy on his tired shoulders, the velvet of his robe feeling like it was lined with lead, and the thick fur around his collar was damp from sweat. What made it worse was that the robes engulfed his entire body, the gold embroidery wrapping itself all around him like it was smothering him as it shone against his silver hair. They were worn to conceal the suit he wore underneath, so it could be formally unveiled at the start of the ball and be shown off in front of all the guests but they also ensured no cold breeze could reach his stifled body and Victor was beginning to fear he would suffer heatstroke before the ball could even begin. What made it worse was that he could show nothing of his suffering on his face- that would be a sign of weakness and he had had it drilled into him from birth that a Nikiforov never shows weakness, no matter what pain they were suffering.

Normally, this would be fine- Victor had gone through worse in his royal duties, either in long boring meetings or in even longer parties. However, he had never had to endure it with his younger brother's complaining before. This was his first big public event as he was now fifteen and old enough to attend to princely duties but even though he had been nagging to attend these events for years, he hadn't stopped moaning since they had arrived. That was the thing threatening to tip him over the edge.

"This is stupid." Yuri, the younger of the two princes, spat out from Victor's left, his face not even trying to cover up his angry frown. "Why do we have to stand up here in these stupid dress things? I'm boiling to death here and I want a drink! Why can't we just go down there and talk to the morons like we usually do at every dumb party? This blows!"

"Because my little Yuri," Victor said, fighting to keep a neutral look on his face as he glared at the back of his brother's head. "This isn't a regular dumb party, this is the Winter Ball and we have to stick to the traditions. That means we have to wear our robes and stand here until all the guests arrive. All of the envoys have to see us at our best and most intimidating so their countries won't want to mess with us. It's all about power play, something we both need to know about as heirs to the throne."

"I don't need to know about this stupid show-off nonsense!" Yuri snapped back, turning his head back to snarl at his brother but a cough from the side of the stage made him quickly look forwards again. Victor gave a small smirk at that. Yuri could complain all he wanted about etiquette and how stupid it was but he would never dare put a foot wrong, especially when his governess Lilia was watching him. "I'm not the Crown Prince like you! The only way I'm going to come to the throne is if you die!"

"Well, you do threaten to kill me on a daily basis…" Victor replied. "Maybe one day you will succeed in murdering me and then what will you do?"

"I'll accept the country's thanks for ridding them of a stupid idiot king." Yuri grumbled as he fidgeted under his robes. Like Victor's, they too were covered in delicate golden embroidery, though in a different less flashy pattern of tumbling leaves to indicate his status as the second prince. Victor knew he didn't like it; the robe was made of mint green velvet that perfectly matched Yuri's deep green eyes but Yuri hated any clothes that didn't match his personal style. Victor had seen a glimpse of Yuri's suit just before they both donned their robes and he couldn't wait to see the faces of their guests when they saw it. The trousers and shirt were black, which wasn't too bad for his taste, but his jacket was purple and lined with a garish leopard print that instantly smacked you in the face when you saw it. Victor also knew that Yuri was going to put sunglasses and leather fingerless gloves at some point during the evening and he had to smoother a giggle as he imagined what the king's face would look like. He should have organised a court painter to capture the moment, he thought wistfully. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

"I can't wait to get this thing off," Victor heard Yuri groan as he shuffled his feet under the long robe. "I don't know why you're so pleased with yours, it looks even worse than mine."

"Excuse you! Mine looks great, thanks very much." Victor said, pretending to sound offended as he dramatically swept his arm, making the gold on his robe glitter like sunlight dancing on water. Though he did hate the thing in that moment for making him feel like he was wearing an oven, he had to admit that it was a stunning garment. The gold thread that danced over the robes had been elegantly crafted into a winding wreath of chamomiles, Russia's national flower, that spilled from the collar of thick white mink fur and trailed all down his back and over his hanging sleeves, knotting and twisting into each other like the world's most complex daisy chain. On the lower half of his robe, glaring out from his back with eyes of shocking silver thread, was another symbol of Russia, the brown bear. It was stood upright on its hindlegs with its paws held upright, like it was challenging the world to a brawl. It was a masterpiece of embroidery work, every element looking almost too real to be hand sewn but it was the colour of the velvet that Victor liked the most. Like Yuri's, the colour had been matched to his eyes so the chamomiles and bear stood out against a backdrop of a bright blue that could have paled the sky on its finest summer day. Victor had always been very proud of his eyes; he had been complimented on them for as long as he could remember and countless poems had been written to try and describe the beauty of their colour. Their shade of blue was now so famous that it was known across Russia as royal blue in his honour and Victor took the opportunity to wear it as much as he possibly could.

Yuri sniffed. "You just like it because it's your colour. You're so boring Victor. I bet your suit under there is blue too, you vain arse."

Victor smiled but said nothing. Oh, how wrong he was.

He knew everyone was expecting him to wear a suit of that colour; it was his, why would he not wear it? But that was just too predictable and one thing Victor hated was being predictable. He loved to surprise people and he knew that the suit he had on underneath the stifling robes would do just that. He couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces, hear their gasps of astonishment and feel their eyes on him all night as they just couldn't look away. That is what he always wanted to do, it was what thrilled him. The trouble was, it was getting more and more difficult to summon up the effort to do it each year.

He sighed. He was twenty-seven now, no longer the young excited man he had once been, and things were starting to lose their appeal. He loved his country and his people but the business of government that once had him so impassioned and so inspired to make it a better place for all had slowly been worn down to long meetings and petty issues of diplomacy that made him want to cry and hide from the world forever. He didn't spend as much time down by the lake anymore, he had so little time for ice skating these days but when he did, it was increasingly more difficult to pull himself away to get back to his normal life. There were times he wished he had been born a commoner; then he could spend all his days pursuing ice skating and he would never have to attend another worn grey meeting again and listen as more and more old men told him why they couldn't implement his ideas. He had tried to get them to listen again and again but nothing was working and he was always shouted down over matters of expenditure and then told to look at some boring issue that was always insignificant. It was truly dull and it hurt that none of the officials really seemed to trust him; he couldn't remember the last time he had felt a spark of anything resembling passion or inspiration. It was like everything inside him was going numb, like he was turning into the ice he loved so much. And the sad thing was, he wasn't doing anything to stop it.

He was suddenly shaken from his thoughts by a loud fanfare of trumpets. Both he and Yuri gave a long sigh of relief. That signalled the beginning of the opening ceremony, meaning all the guests had finally arrived and they could at last remove their robes.

They both turned their heads to the side to watch as their father, the Tsar of Russia, as he gave a nod for the doors to be closed and then went to shrug off his ceremonial robes. Unlike the ones worn by his sons, which had been specially made for them when they were fifteen and were altered every year to fit them, he wore the Imperial Robes that had been passed down through the Nikiforov family for generations. They were coloured a deep crimson like the colour of blood and there was so much gold stitched into it, the red of the velvet appeared only in small flashes like peeping eyes. The gold formed a giant two-headed eagle that sprawled across his back, its wings open in flight and its talons curled around a sceptre and orb. The two pairs of eyes in black thread stared out defiantly, daring anyone to challenge the authority of the person wearing it. There was no denying the power of those robes- no one could refute their royalty.

As the doors closed with a sound like thunder, two servants dashed out to collect the robe as the Kings slipped it from his shoulders. Underneath, he wore his usual military uniform; unlike both his sons, the Tsar didn't have much interest in clothes. He had served in the military for many years before ascending to the throne and so, much of his interest was centred there. For much of Victor's childhood, he had been away from St Petersburg fighting in wars, leaving Victor to be raised and educated by his most trusted advisor Yakov. It was Yakov now who handled most of the domestic affairs and kept the peace and Victor, in his heart, considered him as more of a father figure than the man whose blood he shared.

Once the servants had hurried the robes off the stage, one nearly tripping in her haste to get away, the Tsar then turned his head to Victor and gave a slow nod. Victor gave a sigh of relief as he gratefully removed his own robes and when a chorus of gasps rose from the audience watching them, he gave a wide grin. He could sense the surprised eyes of his brother on him as well as he gaped at him and he grinned even wider. This had been the perfect choice.

His suit was styled like a military uniform with a jacket that had small golden shoulder pads with gold lanyards draped over his shoulder and three gold strings of aiguillette replaced the usual buttons, keeping the jacket open at the front to reveal his white shirt underneath. That, however, was where the resemblance to a real uniform ended as the rest of it was pure Nikiforov flair. The white shirt had a neckline that plunged into a low V, exposing a little of his muscular chest and his jacket was a bright magenta that got darker as it trailed down his slender body. There were two short tails at the back that flared out over the top of his legs which were dressed in slim black trousers. It was an outfit that demanded attention and Victor was pleased to see the reaction it got. The only negative reaction came from Yakov who Victor saw facepalming in the wings of the stage. The Tsar raised his eyebrow but made no further comment. He was used to his eldest son's behaviour and, Victor thought with a sigh, not much made him give a reaction anyway.

Yuri, not to be outdone, practically clawed off his robes when given the signal and even louder gasps were torn from the audience, some bordering on being screams. Yuri gave a pleased grin at the reaction and stood there proudly with his hands on his hips, not caring that the Tsar was softly shaking his head and Yakov looked ready to tear what was left of his hair out. Once the noise had finally died down, the Tsar raised his glass, quickly handed to him by a servant and made a short speech that Victor had heard too many times to listen to as he formally opened the ball.

"Dearest friends, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Winter Ball…"

It was all too easy for Victor to zone out, holding his glass aloft almost robotically as the words washed over him like the cool air he could not feel on his skin. His mind drifted back to the lake in the castle grounds where he had gracefully skated the morning away. He imagined he was back there, his treasured ice skates back on his feet as he danced to a music only he could hear, letting it move him like he was its puppet…

Before he could get too invested in his daydream however, Victor found himself raising his glass and toasting his father, voices around him ringing off the walls for the Tsar's good health and long life. He downed his glass of champagne in one fluid movement, laughing as Yuri tried to do the same and choked on the fizzy liquid, nearly spilling it all down his front. As he was at last allowed to step down from his throne and move into the crowd, his empty glass was quickly refilled and people suddenly swarmed him, the air now abuzz with chatter as they clambered for his attention. Victor plastered a winning smile of his face. The art of conversation was one he had perfected years ago and it was all too easy for him to entertain the many diplomats and members of the Russian court. He was seen as their star, the crown jewel of the royal family; there was no room for him to disappoint.

It was a little while later, when the ball was fully under way and Victor had mostly lost track of all the things he had been discussing, when Victor felt a sudden light but firm touch on his shoulder. For a second he froze but when he heard a familiar laugh from behind him, he instantly relaxed and a smile spread across his face.

"Victor! I haven't seen you since your last trip to Paris, I thought you'd dropped off the face of the Earth!"

"Chris!" Victor exclaimed happily as he turned around and wrapped his old friend in a hug, all formalities forgotten. "It's been far too long! How have you been, old friend? Still gracing the beds of anyone who'll take you?"

"Why Victor, how you wound me sir!" Chris cried, trying to sound horrified as he clasped a hand to his forehead but his spluttering with laughter stopped either of them from taking it seriously. "I'll have you know, I'm on important business here- and it has nothing to do with your attractive Russian subjects!"

Victor laughed again as Chris pulled him into another hug, ignoring the stares of everyone around them. "Seriously though, it is good to see you. Paris just isn't the same without you."

"Nor is St Petersburg without you." Victor replied honestly. Christophe, or Lord Giacometti to give him his full title, had been Victor's friend since the pair of them were teenagers and had attended lessons together under Yakov's strict supervision. Under those conditions, they had formed a fire-forged friendship and, because Chris had a Russian mother but a Swiss father, they had made several trips to Paris together where, free from the Russian court, they could let themselves go a little wild. There were many establishments in the city that the two of them were banned from entering and Victor had a few memories from those trips that still made him blush.

It was in Paris where the two of them had partied all night, made mistakes and experimented, often with each other, in a way that just wouldn't have been allowed in St Petersburg. However, whilst Victor's antics had been handled very discreetly, given his title and the scandal it could cause, Chris had no shame in his past and had a reputation with his long string of male lovers. There were many in Russia who disapproved of the Crown Prince's friendship with a man who was reported to bed anything with a pulse but Victor ignored it. Though he and Chris joked about his reputation, he knew the stories of his friend were greatly exaggerated and he wouldn't have traded their friendship for the world. As they had gotten older, however, he found they did not spend as much time with each other as he would have liked- Chris held land and titles not just in Russia but also in France and Switzerland and he often spent long periods in those countries to manage them. He also made no secret of the fact he found the Russian court far more stuffy than their French and Swiss equivalents but still he came to see his friend and Victor always heartily welcomed him. The world was always less boring when Christophe Giacometti was around.

"So, how long are you staying with us this time?" Victor asked as a waiter passed and topped up both their drinks. Victor's glass was still half full but Chris's had been nearly empty and the minute the waiter was gone, Chris had gulped the whole thing down and quickly called over another. "I can't even think of when you last came here."

"It has been too long since I graced St Petersburg with my presence." Chris agreed with a sly grin. "People will have forgotten about me and I must remind them. But you'll be pleased to hear Victor, I'm going to be staying for a while; I have some work I need to do for the Swiss embassy. They've managed to royally mess up a trade agreement and it should take me a good few months just to untangle the disaster they have made."

Victor couldn't help the warm feeling that spread through his chest. "That's brilliant!" He said, almost jumping up in his excitement. "I mean, not that you have a lot of work to do and that there's a mess, that's not good at all…"

"I know what you meant, my friend," Chris laughed as for a third time, his glass was refilled. "It will give us plenty of time to catch up. Are things really as bad as you say in your letters? In some of them, you didn't even sound like yourself." Victor looked up to see Chris was giving him a worried look and he gave a sigh and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know Chris," he admitted. "Sometimes it just feels like I'm going through the motions, like I'm not doing anything for myself anymore. I used to love my duties, I wanted to do the best I could for my people and my country but nothing is going right and I don't want to try any more. I can't remember the last time I got really fired up for something and it's draining me. This morning, I felt so low, I almost told the maid that I didn't care what I wore tonight!"

"Sacré bleu!" Chris sounded genuinely shocked and he suddenly pulled Victor towards him, nearly pouring the contents of their champagne glasses over both of them as he embraced him. "That is a travesty!"

"I know!" Victor cried out. "But I just don't know what to do any more Chris. Can you think of anything that would help?"

For a moment, Chris looked pensive, his finger stroking at his light goatee as he racked his brain. Then a wide devilish smile slowly grew on his face, spreading until it looked like his mouth was being pulled to its limit. "I know what you need to do."

"What?" Victor asked before eyeing him warily. "I don't like that look on your face Chris."

"The answer is simple." Chris ploughed over him. "You just need to get some again."

"What!?" Victor close to screamed, causing a few people to look over at him in alarm. "Chris, you can't just say that!"

"Why not?" Chris replied innocently like he hadn't just told his friend to go find himself a lover. "From the sounds of it, you need to get a bit of zest back in your life and what better way than through-"

"What are you old farts talking about?" Chris was interrupted as Yuri stormed over to them, his clothes rumpled like he had just been running and his eyes so filled with rage Victor wondered how there wasn't a smoldering hole in the wall somewhere. Anyone else would have recoiled at the sheer level of anger the teenager was emitting but Chris, who had known Yuri since he was a tiny baby, just smiled in welcome.

"Such a pleasure to see you Yuri," He greeted him. "Your brother and I were just discussing the beauty and wonders of life. Would you care to join us?"

Chris's smile was as sweet as honey but Yuri visibly shuddered and stepped back. "No thanks. I know what that means when it comes to you, you pervert." Chris merely raised an eyebrow at the comment but Yuri was no longer focused on him; instead he had turned to address Victor, his arms crossed over his chest and his foot angrily scuffing the floor like it had offended him personally.

"Father isn't happy with me."

"I can't imagine why."

"Shut up old man." Yuri snapped at him before pausing for a second and then continuing to speak. "It's not just because of the suit, though that's a big part of it and I don't see why he doesn't like it, it's awesome! He says I'm not behaving in a manner that becomes a prince. Just because I don't want to talk meaningless gibberish with this bunch of old fools…" He clenched his fists tightly for a few seconds before letting them go with a frustrated sigh. "But now, he's saying that I shouldn't be allowed to do any more of these public event things. I think he wants to pack me off into the army. It's ridiculous- just because he was a second son that went into the army doesn't mean I should go!" He looked back up at Victor and his eyes were pleading. "Victor please tell me he won't make me go!"

Victor pressed his lips into a thin line. He wanted to tell Yuri that there was no chance of him being sent into the army but they both knew it would be a lie. Their father was perfectly capable of doing such a thing, even though the whole court knew Yuri wasn't built for the army. He had the fire and determination to fight but his build held him back- Lila had trained him for years in the classic art of ballet as a means of burning his excess energy and as a result, his body was now willowy and slender and his limbs, even though they had power and strength, looked like pale twigs. Yuri was built for a stage, not a battlefield and Victor resolved on the spot that Yuri was getting nowhere near a war, not if he could help it.

"I'll go talk to Father," He said, handing his champagne glass to Chris and moving through the crowd. "Stay with Lord Giacometti and keep out of trouble."

Yuri grimaced at the idea of Chris keeping him out of trouble but he gave a nod of agreement. "Watch out for the south side," he called out over people's heads and Victor started pushing his way through the crowd to find his father. "Some idiot got drunk and he's challenging people to dance-offs left right and centre."

So that's why Yuri looks so disheveled, Victor thought as he gently but firmly moved people out of his way. I wonder what is going on there- it must be pretty crazy if Yuri got dragged into it. He quickly dismissed the thought however; he had a mission and he was going to fulfill it. He just needed to find his father.

The guests parted before him like the Red Sea as he moved around the huge ballroom, struggling to catch the distinctive red of his father's uniform. Could he have left already? He wondered. No, he couldn't have, there would have been an announcement or something. He was just beginning to wonder if he should check the Tsar's apartments, just in case, when a sudden round of loud cheering brought his pondering to a halt.

What on earth is going on? He thought as he looked over his shoulder and stared at the large crowd that had formed on the south side of the ballroom. The crowd was so thick, he could barely see anything and he suddenly had a thought. What if the Tsar was in there? That would certainly draw a crowd as the Tsar hadn't danced in years. Spurred on by new motivation, Victor marched over and began to force his way through.

"I am the Crown Prince! Let me through!" He tried calling out but the cheering of the guests around him was so loud, nobody could hear a word. He had to resort to shoving, the boniness of his elbows coming into use as he forced his way through the throng of people. At last, he made it to the front, gasping for breath after the tight press of the people around him.

That was like being in a vice, he thought before he lifted his head up and started to scan the crowd for his father. However, before he could properly search the crowd for any glimpses of red, he made the mistake of looking at the centre of the dancefloor, where the attention of the guests was focused, and at once, everything else in the room paled away. The deafening cheering behind him faded into a hum like the low buzz of an insect and it felt like all the guests had suddenly melted away until he was the only one in the room watching. For standing in the middle of the circle, dancing with a beauty he had never thought was possible, was the most breath-taking man he had ever seen.

He was Asian, his body small and so soft-looking, Victor ached to feel it in his arms. His slight chubbiness gave his body and face a sweet and innocent roundness but he could tell instantly that it was deceiving; this was a dancer's body and the graceful and almost-impossible looking shapes it was making was testimony to that. He was moving with all the elegance of a swan but his aura was more like that of a lion, stalking and hunting his prey with no mercy. Victor could see it flashing in the man's eyes; they were a dark nut-brown colour but they flashed with copper and gold hues that made Victor feel weak at the knees. His hair was black and wild, the silky strands falling into his face as he moved without a care and Victor suddenly wanted to brush them away from his face and feel them falling between his fingers. His light skin was gorgeously clear and his mouth was hanging open the tiniest slit in his exertion; Victor saw the tip of a rosy tongue flicking out to wet his lips and his knees almost crumpled there and then.

The man was wearing a basic black suit with a short jacket and a blue tie that Victor thought almost made a mockery of his beloved colour but it was clear his clothing was not in the same condition it had been when he arrived. The jacket was only just clinging onto his shoulders and as Victor watched, the man casually shrugged it off and threw it into the crowd, where it was caught by another Asian man who was happily cheering him on all whilst waving a strange black box in the air. Victor didn't have much time to focus on it as the minute the jacket was freed from his shoulders, the man started to unbutton his shirt and Victor was mesmerised. The man radiated pure sexual energy as he undid each button, moving his hips and rolling his body in a way that had Victor salivating. With each button, Victor was treated to more and more of the man's skin, revealing a beautifully toned chest and abs that made his head real. Am I dreaming this? He thought, his eyes locked on the figure like he would disappear if he looked away. Surely this angel can't be real?

Almost as if he could hear his thoughts, the man suddenly turned around and looked directly at him. Victor gulped as those predatory eyes, alive and hungry with a lust that Aphrodite would have been proud of, swept over his face and when he gave a pleased smile, it felt like his insides had turned into mush. The man stalked his way over to him, one hand raking through his hair as his hips swayed alluringly, and before Victor could react, he was standing right in front of him, so close he could feel his hot breath on his skin and see every metallic fleck of copper in his eyes.

"Your Highness," the man purred and Victor felt the words go straight to his lower half, where they settled into a hot coil that threatened to burn him from the inside out. "Would you honour me with this dance?"

Victor had never agreed to anything more quickly in his life. "I would love to." He almost whispered and the man grinned at how breathless his voice already sounded. He led him out onto the dancefloor, the crowd around them seeming to hold its breath as he pulled the crown prince impossibly close. The man was shorter than him but Victor felt helplessly in his thrall and that became more apparent as he started to lead, moving Victor so effortlessly around the floor, it was like he had been made to do it. Victor usually resented being lead around the dancefloor, he preferred to take control of the dance, but he knew that this man could have led him out of the ballroom and into the Outer Hebrides and he would still have followed him gladly. All he could do was stare spellbound at the man's face, marvelling at how he seemed to scream innocence and debauchery at the same time. The man chuckled as he looked up at him and Victor could feel his cheeks going pink at the sound.

"You appear to be enjoying the ball, your Highness." He whispered softly into his ear, his voice slow and sensual as the word rolled from his tongue. As he spoke, he rolled his hips upwards so they hit Victor's dead on and the Russian prince didn't know how he stopped a loud whimper from escaping his mouth. "Your guests certainly seem to be enjoying the show."

Victor tore his eyes away from the man for a brief moment to glance at the faces around them and he almost laughed at the sight that faced him. The entirety of the crowd appeared to be in shock, their faces twisted into horrified caricatures as they stared open-mouthed at the pair dancing in front of them. Many older members of the crowd looked scandalised at how close the two men were and several men were covering the eyes of the ladies next to them, muttering lowly about impropriety. He also caught sight of Chris and Yuri, both fighting their way through the thick throng of people to see what had happened to him. Chris looked stunned for a moment, his eyes widening when he spotted the man's hand firmly planted on the small of Victor's back and trailed down to his rear, but then he gave a beaming grin and started to cheer his friend on. Meanwhile, Yuri looked furious, his eyes promising murder as he shook his fists at Victor, only held back from grabbing him by the mass of the crowd pulling him back. Victor even though he caught a glimpse of his father's red military uniform but he found he couldn't bring himself to care. He was having the time of his life and he didn't give a damn who saw.

He turned back to the mysterious man with a sly smile of his own and, before he could register his demeanour had changed, Victor had taken control, sweeping him off his feet into a low dip that had some of his strands of hair lightly brushing the ground. Their faces were now so close, their noses were almost touching and Victor almost lost his nerve, wanting nothing more than to steal this man away and kiss him until he couldn't breathe. Instead, he just gave the man a wolfish smile and shivered when he heard his breath hitch.

"They certainly do seem to be having fun," he murmured, revealing in how pink his partner's face went. "How about we give them a proper show?"

The man smiled like he had never wanted anything more in his whole life.

"Let's set this winter ball on fire."

 _Interesting fact: the two headed eagle is the symbol of the Romanovs, Russia's old royal family. The chamomile and the bear are also symbols of Russia. The more you know I guess._

 _If you want to check out my other Yoi fic, Happy Families, please check out my profile._

 _Hope you liked it and please leave a comment!_


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you mean you don't know who he is?!" Yuri screamed, his voice loud enough to rouse the entire castle as he stared at Victor in angry astonishment. "You're telling me you danced with him all night, grinded on him, practically eye-fucked him in front of the entire court and you didn't even think to get his name?!"

Victor winced a little as Yuri's volume continued to rise. "Don't yell Yuri, you'll hurt Maccachin's ears." He said, reaching down to the foot of his bed where the large brown poodle was warming his feet and covering her woolly ears with his hands. "Her head hurts."

"I don't think it's your dog's head that's hurting, you idiot!" Yuri shouted and Victor winced again even louder; he had had a lot of champagne last night and the effects were now catching up on him with a vengeance. He was still lying in bed, his body clad only in his underwear and his limbs tangled in the sheets to protect Yuri's innocence. His outfit from last night was haphazardly draped over a nearby chair, left forgotten the moment after Victor undressed and fell into bed and the rest of him looked just as dishevelled. His usually flawless hair now looked almost fluffy after a night of tossing and turning had ruffled it up and his eyes were blearily blinking against the thin sunshine that was streaming in through a gap in the curtains. His head was pounding from his hangover, his legs ached from all the standing and dancing he had done yesterday and he had gotten close to no sleep last night- and yet his mouth was split into the biggest soppiest heart-shaped grin that not even Yuri's anger could budge.

Yuri gave a loud groan at the sight of it. He had furiously banged on the door and stormed into Victor's apartments ten minutes ago, determined to give his idiot of an older brother a piece of his mind. He had been ranting at Victor since he had stepped through the door and yet the idiot was still smiling like a love-struck fool. It was sickening really.

"Did it not even cross your mind that you should ask who he was?!" He went on furiously, only fuelled by the fact that Victor was viewing him like a kitten mewling for attention. "He could be literally anyone! He could have been someone who just walked in off the streets and you wouldn't have even realised! And how do you stand any chance of finding him if you don't know who he is? He could be halfway across the country right now for all you know!"

That at last made Victor frown a little. "Well now you're just making me sound stupid." He pouted mournfully and Yuri could have slapped him.

"That's because you are stupid, you complete moron!" He screamed, making Victor wince again. "Do you even remember what you were supposed to be doing before your dick got distracted? You were supposed to talk to Father about not sending me off to the army!"

Victor suddenly sat up, the bedsheets falling from his shoulders as he gave a loud groan and slapped his hand over his eyes. Of course, that was what he should have done, he thought miserably. He had known last night that he had been looking for the Tsar for something but then he had seen the mysterious dancing stranger and it had completely slipped his mind. It was like the man had invaded his head; when he closed his eyes, he could see his silhouette dancing on his eyelids and when his mind wandered, it always returned to the sensation of his hands running over his body and his voice purring into his ear like the sweetest syrup. He had danced with him like their flesh was already well-acquainted, like they weren't a pair of strangers or the Crown prince with a subject but like they were lovers expressing their desire for each other through dance. It sent a pleasant shiver through him still when he thought of it and the thought of the man touching him in the way true lovers did was enough to quicken his breath and make his heart start hammering.

Now, however, his feelings of joy were tempered with guilt as he remembered the promise he had made to Yuri. He was already forgetful and tended not to remember a lot of the promises he had made (Yuri and Yakov had berated him enough for it over the years), but this really made him feel terrible as this was about Yuri's future. He could now remember his younger brother pleading with him to go and speak with their father, desperate not to be sent away to fight, and his guilt was overwhelming. He could have potentially doomed his brother to a fate he didn't want, all because he got distracted by some dance moves and a pair of bewitching eyes.

"Oh god Yuri, I'm so sorry," he groaned, rubbing at his eyes before he tried to clamber out of bed, dislodging Maccachin and making her jump to the floor and head for her own bed in the corner. "I didn't mean for that to happen, I promise I'll go make it right, I'll go speak to Father right away…"

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Yuri cut him off as he tried to push Victor back into bed without touching his bare skin, turning his head away with a revolted look as he did so. "I don't think he's happy with you either right now. I saw his face when you were dancing with that guy, he didn't look impressed. If you speak to him now, you might make it worse."

Victor felt crushed. Not only had he failed his brother last night, he had also ruined any chance of him being able to speak with the Tsar seriously. "I'll get Yakov to talk to him," he vowed, looking Yuri square in the eye so he knew he meant it. "He's Father's most trusted advisor and he sees you as the son he never had. He won't want you to be sent away and I'm sure he can convince Father."

Yuri shrugged but Victor could see his eyes now looked more hopeful and his body had lost a lot of the tension it had had when he had first barged into the room. "Thanks Victor."

"Anything for my little brother." Victor smiled up at him before he sat back up on the bed, the sheets clinging to him like a Roman toga as he reached for the vase on his bedside table. It contained a bunch of blue roses, an incredibly rare species native only to their little corner of Russia and Victor had never seen them growing outside the palace gardens. They had been his mother's favourite flower and he always liked to have some nearby, just to remind him of her. He reached out and plucked one of them from the group, twirling the sturdy stem in his fingers as he admired the bloom. It was one of the prettiest he had seen, a good size with a strong bright blue colour and perfect round soft petals. He played around with it for a few seconds longer before he started to pick at the petals. He let them fall to the sheets like fallen snow, making a pool of blue on his legs as he began to recite out loud.

"He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me…"

"Victor, cut that out!" Yuri suddenly shouted, leaping at Victor like a pouncing cat as he tried to wrestle the flower away from him. "Sitting here whining about him isn't going to do anything!"

"I already know that Yuri," Victor sighed, holding the flower annoyingly just out of Yurio's reach so the teenager had to really strain just to brush the petals with his fingertip. "And for your information, I have done something to try and find him."

"Oh really?" Yuri snorted, admitting defeat and pulling back with a huff. "What?"

"I put Chris on the job." Victor smiled smugly as Yuri looked ready to explode.

"That creep?!" He cried out. "What's he going to do other than make everybody feel uncomfortable?! He's such a pervert!"

"Now Yuri, don't be rude." Victor lightly scolded him, reaching over to tap his nose with the flower. "Chris is my oldest friend and one of the few people I would trust with my life. You know he's not as bad as the rumours make him out to be, you've known him since you were a baby."

"I wish I could forget." Yuri crossly muttered as he batted the flower away from his face but Victor could tell that there was no real malice behind his words. "Still, how is he going to find this guy? He doesn't strike me as a detective."

Victor chuckled. "Oh Yuri, I think Chris would be very disheartened if he heard how you underestimate him so. Chris is the unchallenged king of gossip- if something happens at this court, he is always the first to know about it and the first to tell me. He also has a lot of business with a lot of different people and he knows pretty much everybody at court. If anyone can find this man, it will be Chris."

"Hmm." Yuri almost sounded impressed as he looked back at Victor, who had returned to picking at the blue rose and was humming a happy tune under his breath. "So you're certain Chris is going to find him?"

"Absolutely." Victor said, sighing happily as he suddenly clutched the flower to his chest. "And I cannot wait to meet him! It's going to be perfect!" He could already imagine it so clearly; he would walk into the room and instantly they would see each other, their eyes would meet and sparks would fly between them, just like they had done last night, and before long he would be swept back up in those arms again… "Do you think he likes poodles Yuri?"

Yuri shrugged. "I don't know." He then looked a little concerned. "Are you really sure you're going to find him though?"

"Of course," Victor answered, looking almost confused at the question. "Why wouldn't I find him?"

"Well, the moron did kind of disappear on you," Yuri pointed out. "Everyone was searching for him at the end of the night but nobody saw where he went and he didn't even tell you his name or anything about him. That just seems weird to me." He suddenly looked more murderous as his eyes narrowed and his hands balled into fists. "But I hope you do because I need to punch him for distracting you and potentially getting me sent into the army!"

"No!" Victor wailed in anguish, his eyes suddenly swimming with crystal tears as he scrambled out of bed to cling to his brother tightly. "Please don't! I was the one who got distracted, if anyone should get punched, it's me! I'm a terrible brother!"

"Get off me, you weirdo! You're not wearing any clothes!" Yuri yelled crossly as he pushed Victor away. "Stop being such a sap! You've only known this guy for one night!"

"Yes, but it's love Yuri!" Victor protested, retrieving his mutilated blue rose from his bedsheets and holding it tightly again. "I know it is!"

As he brought the rose up to his nose and breathed in its sweet scent, Victor knew he had never been more certain of anything in his life. He knew it sounded a little ridiculous to be so besotted after just one night and to long for someone when you didn't even know their name but at the same time, nothing had ever felt this right to him. It was like a fire had been relit in his chest and it was melting all the icy coldness he had felt before. Suddenly he no longer felt like a shell of a man just doing his duty, he felt real. He felt like he could conquer the world again like he first had all those years ago, like he could do whatever he wanted and the spark of inspiration had returned so strongly, it was like it was fizzing through his bloodstream. That stranger at the ball had made him feel more alive than he had in years and his only desire was to see him again.

The only thing that troubled him was the man's strange disappearance. When the ball had started to draw to a close and Victor's feet had ached from dancing non-stop for hours, the alcohol he had been drinking earlier had started to take effect and his vision had begun to blur around the edges. He wasn't quite sure what had happened; one minute he had been with his mysterious dance partner, still spinning around on the dance floor and the next, the man had gone. He couldn't recall letting go of him though he had some strange feeling that the other Asian man he had seen with the black box had something to do with it. All he knew was that he had vanished like a cloud of smoke, leaving no trance that he had even been there in the first place. That had worried him, in his drunken state he had even gone so far as to wonder if he had been there at all, but now in the bold light of day, he knew it had been real. The memories of the warm feel of his hands and his body had been too solid, too flesh and blood to be drunken hallucinations, and the fact that Yuri could remember him too was proof enough.

He was out there somewhere and he was going to find him.

It was at that precise moment when the doors flew open and Chris came barrelling into the room like he was being chased, a wide grin on his face as he ran to the window and threw the curtains open.

"Victor, you need to get up and get dressed right now!" He cried out, watching as both Yuri and Victor covered their eyes at the sunlight that was now flooding the room with its brightness. "I need to have you presentable so you can meet your prince charming!"

"You found him already?" Yuri stared at the Swiss man dumbfounded before he turned to look at Victor. For a few short moments, the silver-haired man was frozen to the bed, his eyes wide and his jaw slack as he looked like he couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. Then, without any warning, he let out such a high-pitched squeal that Yuri had to cover his ears and Maccachin went running out of the room to try and find somewhere quieter.

"You found him!" He squealed again before he shot out of bed, still draped in his bedsheets thankfully for Yuri, and dashed over to Chris, gushing excited questions like a waterfall. "What's his name, what does he look like, is he as handsome as I remember, where's he from, is he a prince, oh I'm so excited, do you know if he likes poodles-"

"Patience, mon ami," Chris said, putting his hands firmly on Victor's shoulders to stop the wave of questions and calm him down. "It wasn't easy but I have a friend who owes me a few favours and he managed to get me this." He gave a grin as he reached into his pocket and drew out a folded piece of paper, his smile leaving no doubt at what those favours were. Yuri shuddered as he stuck his tongue out and whispered "Gross," but Victor didn't even seem to register his words at all. He was too busy staring down at the piece of paper, his eyes wide and adoring like it was the Holy Grail itself in his hands.

The paper, he recognised, was a photograph, something that was still rare in Russia as the court favoured tradition over new technology but was widely-used elsewhere. It showed two people standing next to each other outside the front gate of the Imperial Palace, both in formal wear with wide excited grins on their faces as they looked at the camera. The figure on the left had his arm slung over the shoulder of the other, pulling him closer as his other hand disappeared into the side of the frame- it took a moment for Victor to realise this was because he was the one taking the picture. He recognised him as the man who had been holding the black box and that was when it hit him- the object had been a camera. I didn't realise they made them that small now, he thought but all his thoughts about cameras were quashed when he looked at the figure standing on the right and he suddenly felt like his breath had been taken away. Though he was now wearing glasses and he was dressed in a style of robe he had never seen before, he knew instantly it was him. His finger traced the fluffy black hair and the broad smile, recognising the features from the night before but it was his eyes that struck him most. Though the picture was in black and white, their intensity was the same and they were filled with a sweetness that made his knees feel weak.

"It's really him," He said in a voice barely above a whisper before he clutched the photograph to his chest and let out a squeal. "It's really him! And he's so adorable, just look at his cheeks, he's so cute…"

Chris chuckled. "I thought you might like that. He does look rather dashing I must say. His name is Yuuri Katsuki, he's an envoy from Japan, fairly new to his position, he only came to the Russian Court three months ago. That picture was taken on his first day here when he arrived with the Japanese ambassador and his friend Phichit Chulanot. He's with the Thai embassy and from what I've found, the two are as thick as thieves."

"Are they… close?" Victor asked, feeling like his heart might shatter. It would be just his luck to fall completely for someone he couldn't have because their heart was already taken. However, to his relief, Chris just laughed and shook his head.

"I have been assured that they are just friends Victor, albeit very close ones. My sources told me that Yuuri is actually very shy- he prefers to fade into the background rather than be the centre of attention. It's his friend that is the more exuberant one- did you know this boy is attempting to take my title as king of gossip?" He spoke about it like it was a great offence, his hand pressing over his heart dramatically as Yuri rolled his eyes. "Him and his camera are doing their damnest to overthrow me. I refuse to let it happen!"

"I don't want to hear about his friend Chris!" Victor said, cutting through Chris's dramatic monologue. "I want to hear about Yuuri!" He couldn't help himself from smiling when he said the man's name- it was like satisfying a craving. The name itself was perfect for him; the u sound was very different from his brother's name, making it almost musical and as he tried it out again on his lips, it made him beam even more. "Oh, I need to get dressed so I can meet him- tell me more about him as I get dressed!"

"Of course, Victor," Chris smiled fondly at his friend as he raced over to his wardrobe and started hurriedly sifting through his clothes. Garments suddenly started flying through the air like flapping birds as he dismissed them and threw them over his shoulder and both Chris and Yuri had to step out of the way to dodge the onslaught. "I must admit, even with my skills and associates, there isn't too much I can tell you my friend. The man is a little bit of an enigma from what I've heard- he's eloquent, soft-spoken but very persuasive and witty and he also seems very good at his job, not to mention he's also very attractive…" Chris stopped when he heard what sounded like a soft growl coming from inside the gigantic wardrobe and he had to chuckle. "No need to get possessive Vitya, I know when to not to interfere. Anyway, what I'm saying is, all these qualities should make him a stand out member of the court. If he wanted, he could be very popular indeed but he seems to be painfully shy and reclusive- from what I've heard, he sticks to his friend's side like glue and he spends a lot of his time with a very select group of people, mostly other envoys from Asia. Not many have been fortunate enough to make his acquaintance and those who have admitted that they were rather shocked to see his behaviour last night. It was supposedly very out of character."

"Oh?" Victor said as he poked his head out of the wardrobe. That was very intriguing; this man he was now hearing about sounded like the exact opposite of the one he had meet last night. He clearly had very two different sides to him but that knowledge only made Victor's smile widen. Yuuri Katsuki sounded like a very interesting individual and now Victor really couldn't wait to see him again- he couldn't wait to unleash that erotic side he had glimpsed before. "Then we must find out what he is like as soon as possible. Chris, which colour becomes me more, this red or this blue?"

Two different suits were shoved out of the wardrobe and Chris took a few moments to carefully scrutinise them- he had to ensure it was perfect for his friend after all.

"I must say the red does look particularly ravishing on you," he said as Yuri pretended to gag behind him. "But it may come on a little strong- you don't want to scare him away remember. And the blue is your signature colour after all, it goes so beautifully with your eyes. I'm certain he won't be able to resist you in that."

"The blue it is then!" Victor crowed triumphantly as he threw the red suit back into the wardrobe and started to pull on the blue one, so excited he could barely keep still. "Oh Chris, you outdid yourself today! I can barely contain myself!"

"Wait," Yuri suddenly cut in as something dawned on him. "You're not thinking off going over to see him right now, are you?"

"Of course we are!" Victor happily responded. "Time is of the essence Yuri! Oh, I've just had a thought- it may get confusing with two Yuris here so from now on, you're going to be Yurio!"

"WHAT?! Why do I get the stupid nickname!?" Yuri screeched as Victor righted his suit, looking very pleased with himself. "I'm your brother! He's the one that should get the dumb name, not me!"

"Yurio please, your screaming is quite unbecoming." Victor said, stunning Yuri into silence as he looked at himself in the mirror. Perfect, he thought as he smoothed down the silky royal blue fabric. He could not fail to blow Yuuri Katsuki away in this. He then turned away from his brother and marched towards the door like he was heading out to war. "Now Chris, lead on to his accommodation!" He shouted like a battle cry as he went charging from the room, Chris hastily following him. "We embark on a quest of true love!"

OOO

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Imperial palace, in the quarters of all the foreign diplomats, Yuuri Katsuki was only just blinking his eyes open. His head was pounding and he tried to lift a hand to rub at his head, only to find his limbs were still groggy from sleep and felt like lead when he tried to move them. He could only just register the fact that he was in his room, the light hurting his fragile eyes as he peered at the dark outlines of the furniture around him.

At least Phichit got both of us back here, he thought, a sudden wave of relief washing over him. Things can't have gone too badly last night if he had been able to drag him back across the palace. Yuuri knew he could get a little crazy when he was drunk and there had been times back at the Japanese court when Phichit hadn't been able to get Yuuri to leave the room, let alone get him back to bed. It must have been fine, he thought with a small smile. He can't have made too much of a fuss.

He sat up, softly whining as another jolt of pain hit his sore head like a sledgehammer. He looked down at himself and saw he was still wearing his suit from last night, minus his tie which had been carelessly thrown to the end of his bed. His jacket was creased all over, like somebody had scrunched it into a ball and then chucked it across the room, and his shirt buttons were in all the wrong holes but at least he was clothed. His mind wandered back to the time he had gotten drunk at his family onsen and had woken up the following morning bare as the day he was born with his clothes floating in one of the baths. He shuddered at the memory. That would never be allowed to happen here, he thought as he stretched his arms and heard his joints crack. The Russian nobles all seemed far too prim for that.

He gave a yawn and his jaw gave a loud click as his body moved into a dancer's stretch that he now knew only from muscle memory. As he stretched his aching legs, he scrunched up his face in deep thought, trying to remember anything from last night. Nothing was immediately coming to mind and that both relieved and worried him. He had guessed he might have a blackout, which scared him as he didn't know exactly what he had done but it also meant he could pretend nothing had happened. He was also sure if something that exciting had happened he would have remembered it, something like getting close to Victor Nikiforov.

Yuuri could already feel his cheeks burning a little at the thought of the Crown Prince. He had had a crush on the man since he was a twelve-year-old boy living at the Japanese court. The Russian royal family had made a short trip to Japan to cement some trade deal and he had seen them very briefly when they had arrived at the court. The Tsar had been dressed in a military uniform and Yuuri had thought he looked a little scary whilst the Tsarina had been beautiful; Yuuri could remember her long silver hair that swept around her face like a bridal veil, the long strands floating down her back in the breeze like they ached to join it. She had been carrying the young prince who shared in name in her arms, the blond four-year-old pouting at everyone from his elevated position but it was the older prince that Yuuri had been unable to look away from. Victor had been only sixteen at the time but he was already breath-takingly beautiful. He had looked just like his mother, sharing her long silver hair and her sparkling blue eyes that looked kindly on everyone. He had been wearing a strange outfit made of black satin, with pieces of the fabric that crisscrossed over brown mesh, a skirt with a red lining that looked feminine and large gleaming crystals at his shoulder and waist that looked like pieces of the sky. Yuuri had seen the Tsar staring disapprovingly at it but he couldn't understand why; he had thought it was stunning and Victor made it even more so with his movements. He walked like he was dancing, every single thing he did was graceful and Yuuri hadn't been able to pull his eyes away.

After that, he had become slightly obsessed with the prince. He was always listening out for news from abroad, just in case it came from Russia and had something to do with the Crown prince. Once a news sheet had come in with an official portrait of him printed on it and Yuuri had hung it up in his room, despite the teasing it got him from his sister Mari. He had admired the picture for years, staring at the beauty of his long hair and when he heard that Victor had cut it all off, he had cried himself to sleep that night because his picture was no longer accurate. He learnt a great deal of things about him, like that he had a poodle and his favourite activity was ice skating. This had led him to beg for a poodle of his own, which he had eventually gotten and then named Vicchan, and in winter he had bought a pair of ice skates and tried it out on the ice that froze over the ponds in the Japanese gardens. He had gotten quite good at it at one point, trying out spins and even jumps, but since he could only practise when it snowed, he had gotten a little out of practise. He had even started learning Russian because of his idol and he was now so accomplished in reading and writing the language that when a position had arisen for an envoy to the Russian court three months ago, he had been put forwards as the obvious choice.

"And why wouldn't they?" Phichit had said to him when he had told him the news. "Nobody here knows more about the Russian court than you and you speak English as well as Russian and Japanese. You're perfect for the job Yuuri and who knows, you might even get the chance to talk to Victor! You can tell him how hard you've been crushing on him for the past few years!"

"Phichit no!" He had cried out, too embarrassed to think about actually meeting the Crown Prince in the flesh. It all still seemed like a strange dream, like he would wake up to find himself back at the Japanese court, representing his family with his sister. So far, he had only met the Tsar's advisor Yakov, a gruff old man with a balding head of hair and a barking voice that held so much authority, Yuuri felt like jumping every time the man spoke. His experience and wisdom was clear and Yuuri had already learned a lot about diplomacy just from watching him and the Japanese ambassador but he was still a little disappointed he hadn't seen the royals at any of the meetings. He had known there wasn't much hope of seeing them; the Tsarina had sadly died a few years ago and the Tsar had become reclusive since her death, only appearing at the most important of meetings which Yuuri could not attend yet. Yuri, the younger prince was also too young to attend to the business of the crown but Yuuri had still hoped that he might see Victor in one of these meetings. Just being in the same room as him, able to work with him for the benefit of both their countries, would have been a dream come true for him.

He sighed. The Winter Ball was supposed to have been the event where he would finally see him and maybe even get a chance to speak with him but now he couldn't remember a thing. Maybe it's for the best, he told himself as he flopped back down on the bed with his arms spread wide. If I had spoken to Victor, I would have probably made a great fool of myself and embarrassed both of us in front of the entire ball.

He looked up as he heard the door creak open, sending a small beam of light into the room. A dark head popped around the door, offering a bright smile as he edged into the room, carrying a tray with a steaming teapot on it.

"Good morning Yuuri." Phichit said, walking over to the bed with an air of concern. "How's your head?"

"Hurts." Yuuri grunted back, his voice croaking and Phichit nodded sympathetically.

"I thought it might do." He said as he rested the tray on Yuuri's bedside table and reached for his curtains. Yuuri winced as the room suddenly exploded with bright light and he attempted to burrow under his blankets but Phichit firmly pulled them away from his grasp. "No, no Yuuri, it's time to wake up now. Here, I bought you some tea, I thought it might help with your hangover."

"Since when did you become my mother?" Yuuri asked a little grumpily, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as Phichit poured him some tea and pushed the warm cup into his hands.

"Since you reverted back into a blushing teenager the moment you stepped into this court." Phichit smartly retorted, making Yuuri flush red and stare down at his drink. "Now come on, drink your tea, it will help. Or do you want me to kiss your head better?"

"Shut up." Yuuri said, scowling half-heartily up at his friend before he took a sip of the hot liquid. He could already feel himself relaxing as he tasted the familiar leaves, mixed with some ginger and chamomile that Phichit had added for his sore head, and he made a happy noise that made Phichit grin fondly down at him.

"You have no idea how cute you are Yuuri," he said, patting the top of his head like he was a puppy. "The whole Russian court would die if they saw you like this."

"Phichit, stop being embarrassing!" Yuuri whined. "It's too early for you to tease me, I'm not emotionally prepared and my head hurts."

"Aw, poor baby," Phichit cooed as he sat down gently next to him, pouring himself a cup of tea as he settled in among the nest of Yuuri's bedding. "Seriously though, it's true. You don't know how many times I was asked about you last night." He shot Yuuri a wide grin as he tried not to wriggle around on the bed too much in excitement. "You really made an impact my friend, I don't think I've ever seen you dance like that before! People's jaws were dropping all over the place!"

"What?!" Yuuri suddenly felt his blood run cold as he stared at Phichit with panicked eyes. "What do you mean dancing?! I don't remember dancing!"

"You mean you don't remember?" Phichit's look of excitement suddenly vanished and he stared at him in alarm. "Yuuri, what do you remember from last night?"

"I…" Yuuri racked his brains, trying desperately to think of the last thing he remembered from last night. "I remember us talking to Guang Hong just before we went in… and I remember the opening of the ball and seeing Victor in his suit…" His face suddenly coloured at the memory of Victor peeling off his cloak and unveiling his outfit that had sculpted his entire body into perfection and Phichit couldn't help giving a knowing smile. "Then I remember getting us some champagne when you were talking to that Cao Bin guy from China and then… I'm not sure what happened. I just remember wanting more champagne and feeling really warm so I…" He suddenly froze, the tea in his cup threatening to spill as his hands shook. "Phichit, please tell me I didn't strip, please."

"Well…" Phichit answered hesitantly as he prised the cup out of Yuuri's hands and put it out of harm's reach. "You didn't take ALL your clothes off…"

Yuuri gave a loud wail and threw his head into his pillow. "It wasn't that bad!" Phichit hastily tried to assure him but that only made him wail louder. "You honestly looked great, everyone was saying how great your dancing was and when you started unbuttoning your shirt, there were quite a few people who were eyeing you up… Victor in particular looked very impressed."

"WHAT?!" Yuuri screamed as his head jerked up from the pillow, his brown eyes looking close to tears. "VICTOR saw me stripping?!"

"He didn't just see you stripping." Phichit admitted and Yuuri gave a whimper. "You may have asked him to dance with you…"

"Oh no…"

"And he might have accepted…"

"Oh no…"

"You might have danced with him all night…"

"Please no…"

"And then you may have grinded on him in full view of everyone."

Yuuri wordlessly slammed his face back into the pillow, his body curling up like he was trying to disappear. "I'm quitting my job."

"Yuuri!"

"I'm leaving court forever. I can't show my face around here again. I'm going back to Japan and I'm going to find a cave somewhere and live out the rest of my life as a hermit."

"Yuuri, be sensible." Phichit said. "It's really not that bad. You were the only thing that made that ball exciting and I know most of the court will agree with me, including Victor. You looked sensational out there and the Crown prince… Well he couldn't take his eyes off you the whole night. I have photos to prove it!"

"You took photos!" Yuuri shrieked, once again whipping his head back up from the sanctity of his pillow. "Why would you do that?!"

"Because you looked amazing Yuuri! You honestly did!" Phichit told him firmly, throwing his arms out to the sides. "Do you really think I would take embarrassing photos of you for blackmail purposes?"

"Yes." Yuuri grunted and Phichit had to nod.

"OK I would but honestly Yuuri, you didn't look terrible. Victor was admiring you, he really-" Phichit was suddenly interrupted by a rapping sound on the door. Both of them looked up, not quite sure they had heard correctly but then it came again, a little louder and more insistent than before.

"Who could that be at this time in the morning?" Phichit asked and Yuuri gulped.

"It's probably the police," He said in a small voice. "They're here to arrest me for public indecency and assaulting the Crown Prince whilst drunk."

"Yuuri, don't be ridiculous." Phichit said but he still looked a little worried. "You stay here, I'll go and see who it is."

Yuuri watched as Phichit got to his feet and walked out of the room. He heard the sound of the door to their tiny apartment, which was basically just their shared bedroom and a small hallway, opening and voices started to carry through. He couldn't distinguish the voices but he could tell there were two of them and that one of them had an almost lilting Russian accent that was strangely familiar, though he couldn't quite place it. He heard Phichit say a few words, his voice sounding almost panicked, before the Thai man came running into the room, slamming the door shut behind him like demons were on his heels.

"Yuuri," he said, leaning against the door with an amazed but also terrified gleam in his eyes. "You are not going to believe who is outside."

"Who?" Yuuri asked, his face looking bloodless.

"The Crown Prince. And he's asking for you."

 _All I can say about this chapter is busted!_

 _I also loved the chance to make them all interact, Yuuri and Phichit are my favourites!_

 _Review_ _s are my lifeblood!_


	3. Chapter 3

This couldn't be happening, Yuuri thought, his mind going blank in shock as he stared at Phichit. This just could not be happening. The Crown Prince couldn't be outside the door, Phichit must be playing some sort of prank on him…

However, one look at his best friend's face told him that this was most certainly not a joke and this really was happening to him. This wasn't some strange dream; this was _real_.

"What?!" He squeaked, his body frozen to the bed as he stared at the door in horror. "What do you mean he wants to see me?!"

"That's what he said!" Phichit close to screamed, his own panic threatening to engulf him as he leant against the door. This was the last thing he had expected to happen. He had seen everything at the Winter Ball last night and thanks to his trusty camera, he had visual evidence of the love-struck way the Crown prince had looked, his eyes sparkling as he stared at his best friend. He had suspected that the prince would seek Yuuri out at some point but so soon? When the man wasn't even out of his suit from the night before? He was totally not prepared for this.

He looked over at the bed to see Yuuri's fingers were fisted into his bedsheets, his knuckles white as he gripped them like a vice and his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe. It was a clear sign he was having a panic attack and Phichit ran to his side as tears started to form in Yuuri's eyes. "OK Yuuri, let's not get worked up, breathe with me Yuuri, everything's alright, I told them not to come in here yet, breathe with me…"

He wretched one of Yuuri's hands away from the sheets to place it over his own heart, giving Yuuri a steady beat to focus on and allowing him to follow the rise and fall of his own chest. Yuuri continued to gasp for a few seconds like a fish out of water but after a minute of Phichit's soft encouragement, he was breathing normally again. "That's better, great job Yuuri." Phichit happily praised him and Yuuri managed a small smile. However, that smile promptly vanished and was replaced with a stricken look as there was another loud knock, this time on the door to their bedroom, and a voice with a Russian accent called out.

"Hello? Is everything alright in there? I thought I heard crying…"

The voice sounded concerned and for some strange reason, Yuuri found that reassuring. Surely someone wouldn't be concerned if they came to shout at someone and order them out of court? Then suddenly, the door handle started turning, making a clicking sound as the door started to open and Phichit leapt up from the bed with a cry to try and stop it.

"Your Highness, please wait, Yuuri is-"

However, it was already too late. Phichit hadn't even crossed the room before the door swung fully open, creaking as it did so as if apologising for being in the way, and Yuuri gasped as he caught sight of the Crown Prince standing in the doorway. Victor was just as mesmerising as he had always imagined him to be. He had changed a lot since the first time Yuuri had set eyes on him at sixteen; his hair was short now, with a fringe like a wave that fell over one eye and his body had filled out, making his shoulders broader and his slender legs longer and more muscular. His face was more angular too, the last of the roundness of his youth lost, and Yuuri could easily see the toned muscles that were wound under his skin like rope but his eyes were still the same. His eyes were the same beautiful blue he remembered and they still shone with a light and kindness that made Yuuri want to melt under them. For a brief second, he was reminded of the Tsarina's eyes and he wondered if many people told Victor that he had his mother's eyes. It would be a travesty if they didn't, he thought, just before he realised those eyes were locked on him. He squirmed a little under their intense gaze, before he glanced down at himself and nearly groaned in despair. He had forgotten he was still wearing his suit from last night and he now felt hideously exposed, especially as Victor looked so magnificent. He was dressed in a suit of his signature royal blue decorated with silver flowers with a long cloak that swept behind him as he walked. Yuuri wanted to cringe.

I look like such a mess, he thought. What must he be thinking?

What he didn't realise however, was that Victor was enormously struggling to keep his composure. Yuuri looked so beautiful and so ravished as he lay sprawled out on his bed like he was waiting to be taken, that it was taking all of Victor's effort not to pounce on the bed and kiss him senseless. God, he looks so perfect, he thought, his eyes roaming over Yuuri's body, unable to look away. Every part of him looked deliciously ruffled; his black hair was all fluffed up, making it look like soft feathers and Victor instantly wanted to run his hands through it just to see if it was as silky as it looked. His cheeks were a flushed pink and were growing darker by the second and his mouth had fallen open just enough to show off his perfect pink lips. His suit looked like it was only just hanging onto him, the jacket falling from his shoulders and his shirt buttons in all the wrong holes. Because of this, the collar was so wonky, it left almost his entire collarbone on show and there was nothing Victor wanted more than to latch his mouth onto that patch of skin and suck hard enough to mark it. However, it was the sight of Yuuri's eyes that kept him frozen to the spot. They were the same vivid dark brown he remembered from the night before, the memory of how they looked at him still dancing through his mind, but now instead of being filled with a dark lust, they were so wide and so sweetly innocent-looking that he felt like he had forgotten to breathe. He was so caught up in them that was only a sharp jab and a cough from Chris, who was standing behind him, that snapped him out of his trance and forced him to look away. He suddenly realised he had just been standing there staring like somebody unbelievably creepy and he instantly dropped into a low bow.

"My deepest apologises for barging in unannounced," he said, straightening up and taking a step towards the bed, his eyes once again on Yuuri. "It is deeply unbecoming of me but I just could not stand to wait for the pleasure of your presence." His tone was undeniably flirtatious and as he bowed his head a little, he could sense Chris shooting him a smile and wink. This was going perfectly, just like they had rehearsed on the way here.

Meanwhile, Yuuri was still trying to process his shock. He was still struggling to believe the Crown Prince, the man who had been the object of his unlimited adoration for years, was standing in his room, lingering at the foot of his bed and staring at him like he was the Sun and the stars combined. How am I supposed to react to this? He thought, almost in a blind panic, until he heard his words and he recognised the formal language of the court. This was something Yuuri had studied and understood- in the Russian court, everything was polite and formal and he had found it refreshing as much of it was similar to the manners of the Japanese court. It was all too easy to slip on a mask when you used the flowery language and he found himself drawing more confidence as he stood up and gave a short bow. In the world of social etiquette, he was far more comfortable and this way, he could focus more on not making a mistake and less on the fact that the Crown prince was in his bedroom.

"The pleasure is all mine Your Highness," he answered, his voice soft and level as he looked up at Victor through his eyelashes. "And I too must apologise for my… state of dress. If we had known you were coming, we could have shown you some far better hospitality."

"It is of no matter," Victor replied, his face steadily growing red as he looked down at Yuuri. Chris had been right about Yuuri's gift with words; he had recovered from his obvious shock with a surprising ease and his gentle words sounded nothing less than sincere. What Chris hadn't prepared him for was how beautiful Yuuri's voice was. He spoke Russian like it was his native tongue, with only the hint of a Japanese accent to betray that it wasn't and in Victor's opinion, that touch of another language made it all the more heavenly. His voice was soft and kind but it still carried a weight that made you sit up and listen to him and the way his lips curled arounds his words sounded like music. Yuuri could have read out any of the stuffy documents his father's officials made him read and Victor knew he would have listened to every word enthralled. "I must confess to having been welcomed in even less habitable circumstances and I have made the best of it."

That made Yuuri laugh, his giggling enough to make Victor nearly swoon and Chris give a sly smile in Phichit's direction. The Thai man's panic had instantly eased when Yuuri had started speaking and hearing his laughter made the last of his tension leave his body in a relieved sigh. He had worried that his friend might go into another panic attack when Victor first started talking to him but when it became obvious that Victor was smitten and Yuuri was steadily becoming more comfortable, his worries had evaporated and he could relax. He caught Chris's smile out of the corner of his eye and he winked back, enjoying how the Swiss man's eyebrows shot up. If he's just as in favour of this as I am, Phichit thought, us two are going to get on very well.

"I'm sure you have." Yuuri answered Victor, still trying hard to smoother the last of his giggles. Victor looked so much like the pampered elegant prince, especially in his long blue robes that matched his eyes perfectly, that it was funny trying to imagine him anywhere else, let alone in circumstances worse than this. He was giggling so much that his throat felt dry and he reached for the cup of slightly cooled tea that Phichit had poured for him earlier. Victor's eyes followed the movement and they widened a little when he caught sight of the tea tray.

"Were we interrupting your breakfast? I'm terribly sorry, we didn't mean to."

"Oh no, it's fine." Yuuri was hasty to reassure him after he had taken a few large gulps of the tea. "This is a herbal tea to soothe headaches, my friend and I were attempting to recover from the ball last night."

He suddenly flushed red as Phichit's words about what he had done at the ball returned to him and he had to tightly grip the cup to make sure he didn't drop it. Of course, that was why Victor was here; he probably wanted answers for his behaviour. Was he mad? Victor didn't seem to be angry but he could just be waiting for Yuuri's guard to lower before he laid into him. Was he going to be thrown out of court after all? Before he could reach that level of panic again, he heard Victor's voice calling his name.

"Yuuri? Yuuri, are you alright?"

His voice was once again so concerned that it almost brought tears to Yuuri's eyes. Before the prince could say anything else, Yuuri had dropped himself into a low bow, nearly spilling tea over himself in his haste. He had bent himself so low that his hair was almost tickling the ground and he spread his hands out in front of him like he was at an altar worshipping a god.

"Your Highness, I must deeply apologise for my actions last night." He garbled out quickly before anyone else could speak. "I was very drunk and I lost control of myself. I do not remember anything that happened but from what I have been told, I was very forthright with you and I made a fool of myself and that should not have happened. I am very sorry for this and I humbly beg your forgiveness as your loyal subject."

For a moment, there was silence, the painful quiet ripping through Yuuri like a knife and making him bite at his lip. Was the Prince that disgusted with him, he couldn't speak? Then suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder bidding him to rise and when he did so, he was confronted by Victor's wide and shocked looking eyes.

"You don't remember it?" He asked. "None of it at all?"

As Yuuri sorrowfully shook his head, Victor could feel his heart cracking. Was he serious? Did he really remember nothing? He knew from one look at Yuuri's honest and sad eyes that he was telling the truth and he felt like he had been slapped. Yuuri could really remember nothing of their dancing, nothing of the way he had held Victor like he was the most precious thing he knew, nothing of the way their eyes had met and it had felt like he had come to life… none of it. He was the only one who remembered and that thought was heart-shattering. However, when he looked at Yuuri he found he couldn't be angry at him. The man looked so regretful and so upset when he looked up at him that he couldn't help but want to hold him until all his sadness went away. It wasn't Yuuri's fault that his drunkenness had resulted in a blackout- Victor could remember several times when he had done the same thing with Chris in Paris, both of them waking up in foreign rooms with strange people and not having a clue how they got there. And maybe… maybe it was for the best, he thought. Yuuri was still here, right in front of him and Victor knew he still had that side in him. Maybe I've just been given a chance to get to know him on a proper level, he thought and that was enough for his smile to return, even bigger and brighter than ever.

"Yuuri, I'm not here to ask for your forgiveness. There is nothing for me to forgive," he said, taking one of Yuuri's hands in his own and enjoying how he looked up at him in shock, his face once again going bright red like crimson roses were growing in his cheeks. "I'm here because I wanted to see if you were alright. You danced so exquisitely at the ball last night but you disappeared before I could compliment you properly."

"R-really?" Yuuri stammered out, feeling like his face was aflame. He couldn't quite take it in that Victor not only wasn't mad at him but he also wanted to compliment his dancing. He almost felt like pinching himself to make sure this wasn't a dream. "Thank you, your Highness, that is very great praise coming from you."

"I must also confess to having a far more selfish reason for coming." Victor admitted, his thumb reverently running over the soft skin of Yuuri's hand. "I wanted to ask you to accompany me for a walk in the Palace gardens. It may be winter but they are still beautiful at this time of year."

His gaze held Yuuri's like a physical force and Yuuri didn't think he could have pulled back even if he wanted to. His knees felt like buckling as Victor's hand continued to caress his own and when Victor told him of his true intentions, he wanted to collapse. He had never believed outside of his fantasies that Victor would wish to spend time with him and yet here he was, asking him for his company with his eyes pleading like a puppy's would. That nearly made him laugh again and that relieved his nerves enough for him to answer.

"I would be honoured to join you, your Highness."

"Excellent!" Victor beamed at him, his smile so bright and happy Yuuri swore it could have restarted the Sun. However, before he could say anything else, Phichit had smoothly stepped between them, forcing Victor to take a step back and let go of Yuuri's hand. He looked up crestfallen but he was stopped from reacting by Chris's firm hand on his upper arm and the steel in Phichit's eyes as he looked at him.

"Your Highness, whilst my friend is delighted by your kind invitation, I must insist that you must wait a short while," Phichit said. His voice was polite but there was an iron will behind it that stoppered Victor's throat and halted any thoughts of interrupting him. "Yuuri still needs some time to recover from last night; he is suffering from a hangover and as you can see, he is not properly dressed to receive or go out into the court. I must request that you leave us some time for me to make him presentable."

Victor was about to reply that Yuuri's hangover seemed better now and that he would look presentable to him no matter what he wore but Chris cut over him before he could even open his mouth. "Of course, we will give you some time, take as long as you need," he replied smoothly, giving Phichit a nod and a quick wink as he started to pull Victor from the room. "We will be outside if you need us."

"Thank you, Lord Giacometti." Phichit smiled back at him as Chris eventually pushed a reluctant Victor away from Yuuri, who gave a tiny wave as the Russian Prince was finally forced out of the door. He looked longingly at Yuuri right up until the last second, raising his own hand in an absent-minded wave and Chris's knowing look showed Phichit that he had seen it all too. It's good to know I have an ally in all of this, Phichit thought with a wide smile as he turned back to Yuuri, who was staring at the door like it had suddenly formed a mouth and learnt how to sing.

"Phichit, wha-"

"Drink up your tea Yuuri!" Phichit insisted as he pushed a very pliant Yuuri down onto the bed, quickly filling up his cup with more tea before he rushed over to their small shared wardrobe. "We need to get you looking perfect for this! Somebody get me my eyeliner and my hairbrush! When I'm finished with you, Victor Nikiforov won't know what hit him!"

OOO

Whenever Victor wanted to have a walk in the gardens, particularly if he had an esteemed guest with him, he always had to have a chaperone. This was Russian tradition, designed to make sure that nothing improper could happen to the Crown Prince and to stop rumours from flying around the court about his purity. Victor had once tried to get out of this tradition but he had been shouted down by his father, asking him if he wanted the entire court to question his honour. Victor had wanted to remark that his honour had gone a long time ago, destroyed somewhere in a hotel in Paris, but he had quickly bitten back his tongue and meekly agreed. That was why Victor always had Chris with him as his chaperone but there was another reason why he always insisted on taking his best friend with him on these kinds of walks; Chris was a terrible chaperone.

Chris held almost every quality that made him unsuitable for the job of guarding Victor's modesty. Aside from the fact that he had helped Victor to lose it in the first place, he was easily distracted, terribly flirtatious with all those he met on his walks with Victor and both of these things meant he tended to lag behind whenever they went walking through the gardens as he stopped to talk with somebody he met. This happened almost every time they stumbled across somebody and since Chris knew everybody at the Russian court, he was often only just in view of the man he was meant to be chaperoning.

"You Highness, should we stop and wait for Lord Giacometti?" Yuuri asked nervously, looking back over his shoulder at where Chris was loitering a good twenty metres behind them. He was talking to a man Yuuri had only glimpsed around the court who had red hair and was dressed in what looked to be a British suit. He was smiling kindly at Chris as the pair of them talked and Chris was giving him a flirtatious gaze that was so obvious even Yuuri could see it. "It appears he is distracted."

"Oh, do not worry about him." Victor said, offering up silent thanks to his old friend as he discreetly ushered them both around a corner of the maze. He knew Chris would catch up in his own time but he wouldn't get close enough to hear any of their conversation; that was what they had agreed as they had stood outside Yuuri and Phichit's room as they waited for him to emerge. It was during that time when Victor had made plans to take Yuuri to the maze in the court gardens. Both he had Chris had agreed it was the perfect choice; it was large, full of pretty flowers for them to admire and best of all, private. It would be all too easy for them both to slip away if things took a pleasant turn (Chris had said that whilst wriggling his eyebrows and lowering his voice and Victor couldn't help but feel hot at the idea) and it would also be easy enough for Chris to 'accidentally' loose them and give them time to talk. It was the perfect place for Victor to unleash all his charms and woo Yuuri.

After they had made their plans however, they had entered into a waiting game. It had been at least an hour and a half before Phichit had finally relinquished Yuuri into Victor's charge and the Russian prince had been close to climbing the walls with impatience by the end of it but now the finished result was walking by his side, he had to agree that it had been well worth the wait.

Yuuri looked completely different from the ravished man Victor had discovered sprawled on his bed with his modesty just intact- now Yuuri looked the picture of quiet dignity, carrying himself with an elegance that only teasingly hinted at his dancing ability. His hair had been brushed back, away from his face in a sleek style with only a few temperamental strands falling in front of his eyes that bobbed before his glasses when he moved. His eyes, still just as sweet as before, were framed with blue glasses and Victor noticed there was a small flick of eyeliner on each eye. That's probably Phichit's doing, he had thought, along with the tiny bit of powder Yuuri had on his cheeks to make his blushing less violent and the gloss on his lips that really made their pink stand out against the rest of his skin. Yuuri hadn't been too sure about the make-up at first, thinking it would look like too much but Phichit had applied it so expertly that it was only noticeable close up and it enhanced Yuuri's features so well that Victor had been floored when he had first seen it. For a long moment, he had been only able to stand and stare at him whilst Phichit gave a wide smile like he was asking Victor if he approved. Victor had only just managed to give a nod in his direction; oh yes, he very much approved indeed.

Yuuri's clothes were also a world away from what he had been wearing that morning. Instead of his more European suit, Yuuri was now wearing an oriental-styled robe, which Victor had since learned was called a kimono. The garment was made of silk and was a rich blue that almost mirrored Victor's own robes- the thought that the two of them matched made Victor preen with pride and he couldn't help linking their arms, just to compare the slightly different shades against each other. The kimono was loose and the lower half flowed like water when Yuuri took a step. The thin sash around Yuuri's waist highlighted how slim he was and when Victor looked closer at it, he could see it was embroidered with a pattern of leaves and flowers, not dissimilar to the one on his robes which also made him smile. He had to admit, Phichit had done a remarkable job and now Victor couldn't tear his eyes away.

"So Yuuri," He said, smiling as Yuuri stopped looking back for Chris and turned his head to face him instead. "How long have you been in Russia?"

"Three months." Yuuri answered, playing a little with the material of his long hanging sleeves. "I came over to help the Japanese ambassador since I can speak Russian OK. Nobody else back home can speak it that well and that's why I was chosen."

"I think your Russian is beautiful," Victor said, smiling as Yuuri's cheeks got a little pinker. "You speak it better than most of the officials I know and some of those are Russian!"

Yuuri laughed, his other hand going up to cover his mouth. "You shouldn't say that about your own dignitaries."

"Why not? It's the truth." Victor grinned. "And besides, you have more talent in your little finger than all of them combined. I've seen it."

Yuuri went red again, casting his eyes to the floor even as he gave a small pleased smile. "I think you overestimate my skills, Your Highness," He said. "I'm just a dime a dozen envoy here. I am also sure that dancing, though I do love it, is not a necessary skill for a diplomat."

"It should be. It might make them all more interesting." Both of them chuckled at the image of many of the envoys at court dancing; as many of them were old men, the sight was sure to be a spectacle. "Where did you learn to dance like that Yuuri? I've never seen anyone move like you do."

"I used to take ballet classes back in Japan." Yuuri said, once again averting his gaze to stare at the grass at the feet. "My family's close friend Minako used to be a prima ballerina and she retired to my home town. When I was little, I asked her to teach me and I continued ballet training all through my teens. It was a good distraction from my studies and I loved it." A wide smile came over his face at the memories it stirred up and Victor beamed himself when he caught sight of it. "I only stopped lessons when I had to come here but I still do my stretches and practise when I can. Minako would never forgive me if I let myself go."

Victor nodded approvingly as he swept another gaze over Yuuri's body. It was so obviously the body of a dancer, he could see it in every one of Yuuri's movements and gestures. He carried such a grace in everything he did, it was like music come to life and he could have watched him all day.

"My brother trains in ballet too. He's done it for the last few years- he started because he saw Lilia training Mila in it and he couldn't have her beating him in anything. Now Lilia calls him the best prima she ever taught."

"Mila?" Yuuri asked.

"She's a friend of mine and Yuri's," Victor explained. "Her parents are from a distant branch of the royal family so she's something like our second cousin thrice removed or something along those lines. Her father served with mine in the military and when he died, Mila was put under my father's patronage. She grew up in the Palace with us as she took most of Yuri's lessons. He pretends to hate her and they spat all the time but they're actually really close. You'd know if you met her, she's got bright red hair and a fiery personality to match."

"I think I might have seen her around." Yuuri pondered. A memory suddenly came to him of a redheaded woman tearing through the corridors of the Palace; she had nearly knocked him flying one morning as he made his way to a meeting and he couldn't think of anyone else that could have been. "Does she still do ballet?"

"No, she quit after Yuri got better than her." Victor grinned. "She took up sword fighting instead and now she could best any man in our army."

Yuuri laughed again and Victor suddenly wished there was a way he could capture that sound in a bottle so he could listen to it whenever he wanted. "She sounds lovely." Yuuri said, smiling up at him before he asked "Did you ever take ballet lessons?"

"I did for a short while when I was young," Victor told him. "Lilia was determined to get a danseur out of me but I was never quite up to her high standards- it just makes Yuri all the more impressive." He chuckled lightly. "I was always better at figure skating. When I was younger, I never wanted to get off the ice. Yakov had to drag me off on more than a few occasions."

"I know." Yuuri said before he made a strangled gasping sound. "I mean I've seen pictures. I heard you liked ice skating from the news sheets back home. I didn't mean for that to sound so creepy Your Highness…"

"It didn't sound creepy at all Yuuri." Victor assured him, lightly tugging on his arm that was linked with Yuuri's so he could pull the man closer. Their bodies looked joined at the hip as they walked, their steps in perfect unison, and Victor couldn't have been happier with it. "Was there much about me in the news sheets?"

"Not that much," Yuuri admitted, his scarlet blush reaching the shell of his ear and dipping below the V-neck of his kimono. "When I was twelve, your family made a visit to Japan and I was at court at the time. I admired you very much and afterwards I used to look out for any news of you. I even tried ice skating because I knew you loved it."

"You did?!" Victor cried out in pure delight and, if they hadn't passed a group of ladies out for their morning stroll, he would have tackled Yuuri in a hug. Instead, he had to make do with squeezing his arm tightly and beaming. "Yuuri, I'm so flattered! Were you any good?"

"I was OK." Yuuri said bashfully. "I got to the point where I could try a few things but then winter ended and there was no more ice. Japan has a very different climate to Russia so I couldn't practise as much as I wanted. I'm terribly rusty now, I haven't tried for years."

"I could take you!" Victor said excitedly.

"You would?" Yuuri blinked up at him as Victor nodded enthusiastically, his head bobbing so much, it looked like it would fall off.

"I would be honoured Yuuri!" He said, his heart thudding. He couldn't imagine anything more romantic than taking Yuuri ice skating; he could show him the frozen lake that had been his favourite place since he was a boy, he could show him all the jumps and spins he had perfected and wow him with his skills, he could hold onto him as he led him around the ice… He imagined Yuuri stumbling on the ice like a baby deer learning to walk for the first time, his arms clinging to Victor as he tried to stay upright, and the thought was so cute he was tempted to drag Yuuri away and do it that second. However, he held himself back; Yuuri was still very shy and Chris had warned him about being too full on. He would save that for another time when Yuuri was a little more relaxed around him. He could still feel a slight tension in the line of Yuuri's arm that suggested he was nervous and all Victor wanted was to ease that away.

Yuuri gave a smile at Victor's exuberance. It still felt a little like he was dreaming, like any second he would wake up back in his room and Victor would dissipate like smoke. The part of him that had obsessed over Victor since he was twelve was screaming inside him at the idea of going ice skating with him; that had been something he had never imagined happening even in his wildest fantasies and now Victor was offering to take him like there was nothing in the world he wanted more.

"That sounds like fun." He said, watching as Victor's face lit up. He tentatively smiled back before his anxiety got the better of him and he dropped his eyes again before he turned his head back to look behind him. "Your Highness, I fear we have lost Lord Giacometti. Should we go look for him or…"

"I wouldn't worry about Lord Giacometti." Victor said, lightly patting Yuuri's hand as they continued to walk. He had no idea where Chris had wandered off to but he couldn't say he was complaining; this just gave him even more time alone with Yuuri. "He can't be too far away."

"I'm not entirely sure he is taking his chaperoning duties seriously." Yuuri said teasingly and when Victor looked down at him in surprise, there was a tiny smirk on his face. Victor almost felt like fanning himself; this was a glimpse of the Yuuri he had seen last night, the Yuuri that was sassy and took no prisoners, and he liked it a lot. "People will talk if we're not careful."

"People are always going to talk." Victor said. It was a truth he knew all too well; in a world where everything he did was analysed and judged by an eagle-eyed court, he had learned both how to be discreet and how to have a thick skin. He wasn't worried about the gossips anymore, he had been a subject of their scrutiny for far too long to care, but he knew that wasn't the same for Yuuri. He had expected the Japanese man to be nervous at the thought of the whole court talking about him and pairing him with the Crown Prince but instead, he looked almost pleased about it. He was the one who linked their arms even tighter, pulling Victor's body to his with a possessive air and Victor's chest had wanted to burst with pride. "The only person I want to hear is you Yuuri. Is there anything you want to know about me? Something that wasn't in your news sheets?"

He watched as Yuuri flushed again, his teeth tugging at his bottom lip before something sparked in his eyes and he turned to Victor with a question.

"Do you remember visiting Japan?"

Victor gave him a warm look. "I do remember it. I was sixteen if I remember rightly, it was my first diplomatic visit abroad. I was so excited for it I couldn't contain myself; my mother kept scolding me on the boat on the way over because I was running around so much, she feared I would get seasick. Yurio cried the whole way over; he didn't like the boat and somebody made the mistake of telling him there were tigers in Japan. He was so distraught when he found out there were none that he sulked for the rest of the trip. The country was so beautiful, there were so many gardens and they were full of trees and everything just seemed so peaceful." He smiled again but this time Yuuri could see there was sadness in his eyes. "My mother adored those gardens. When my father and I had to attend meetings, she took Yuri out to play in them; she said they were so tranquil, she sometimes thought she would fall asleep as she sat enjoying them. She loved the plants there, I think she wanted to take some back with her but she was told they wouldn't do well in our climate. That was her last trip abroad, she got too sick to come with us after that."

He cast his eyes downwards and Yuuri squeezed his hand sympathetically. "I'm sorry Your Highness, I shouldn't have brought that up…"

"It's OK." Victor squeezed his hand in return and his eyes met Yuuri's again. They were shimmering a little more than usual, the bitter sweetness of that long-ago trip taking him by surprise. He hadn't thought about it for so long but the memories were far from unwelcome; it was nice to think of his mother the way she had been before her illness had taken her away and left her little more than a wisp of what she had once been. "Did you see her too when you were younger?"

"I saw all of your family when you first arrived at the court Your Highness," Yuuri told him. "I remember your mother was holding Prince Yuri in her arms, he did look like he was sulking. Your mother looked beautiful, I remember thinking she looked almost like a goddess when I first saw her because she looked so ethereal. She also had the kindest eyes, they looked like they were always smiling." He paused for a short while before he added. "You have the same eyes as her."

"You think so?" Victor halted on the thin pathway as he turned his whole body to face Yuuri. He had been told quite a few times, mainly by Yakov and other older servants, that he shared his mother's eyes but most of them he knew were just commenting on the colour. Yuuri however, seemed to mean something different and more sincere and that was only confirmed when Yuuri did speak.

"Yes. You have the same kindness in your eyes. That's what makes them look so much like hers; they have the same light behind them."

Both of them had stopped on the pathway, the hedges either side of them suddenly seeming bigger, like they were enclosing the two of them in their own private world. The two of them were facing each other, Yuuri's nervous brown eyes staring up into Victor's steady ones. Yuuri was hit with a rush of panic; had he said the wrong thing? Should he have just kept quiet about Victor's mother? I should have known that would hit a raw nerve, he thought as he felt his arms begin to tremble. Victor's arm began to untangle itself from Yuuri's and he began to fear the worst.

This is it, he thought. I'm really getting thrown out this time.

However, instead of letting go of him completely, Victor's hands started to trail down his arms, stopping his trembling in its tracks. His fingers wove paths down the silk of his kimono, the pads dragging like they couldn't bear to be separated from the fabric for even a second. The sight of their slow journey was almost erotic and when they fully touched the skin of his hands, he felt like a hot coil was burning in his stomach. Victor took both of his hands, clasping them tightly as he looked into Yuuri's eyes and Yuuri almost believed he could see diamond tears in his glowing eyes.

"Thank you Yuuri," He said, bowing his head and placing a gentle, almost worshipping kiss on his knuckles that made his breath hitch. "You don't know how much that means to me."

"Y-your welcome, Y-y-your Highness." Yuuri said in a voice barely above a whisper. He could feel his face scorching under Victor's close gaze but at the same time, he couldn't look away. He felt like he was being burned by their blue fire but at the same time, he wanted to be devoured by them. He couldn't drag his eyes away, not even when Victor raised one hand and brushed his thumb against his cheekbone. He shivered as Victor softly ran his thumb over his cheekbone and down to the swell of his bottom lip and Victor seemed to feel it as he gave a light gasp that sounded almost like a moan. Their eyes still refused to leave each other; the world could have been burning around them and they would have been too wrapped up in each other to notice. Victor then opened his mouth to speak and Yuuri sucked in a breath waiting.

"Yuuri, I…"

"There you two are!"

Victor and Yuuri sprang apart, whipping their heads in the direction of the voice as their moment was completely shattered. Yuuri felt his face flare up again as Christophe jauntily approached them, his jacket askew and a couple of twigs perched in his hair. It was obvious what he had been up to in the hedges and Yuuri wanted to curl up in embarrassment. Did the man have no shame at all?

Victor meanwhile, was glaring at his friend furiously. Chris had come along at just the wrong time; just when he and Yuuri were having a romantic moment, he had to come strolling in. He could see now that Yuuri was paralyzed with embarrassment and he could have strangled Chris where he stood. However, the Swiss man, not seeming to understand why his friend looked so mad at him, just gave him a wide grin.

"Gentlemen! I've been looking for you everywhere! I really am terrible, I have no sense of direction at all."

"Indeed." Victor said in a clipped tone and Chris had the decency to look guilty before he gave his next message.

"Anyway, I'm so sorry to interrupt but I come bringing an urgent message from Yakov. He says he needs you to come right now Vitya. You were meant to be with him this morning overseeing the documentation of the new trade agreements and he's been looking for you all morning. I'm sorry to break this up but Yakov did insist and he was pretty scary about it."

"I bet he was." Victor nodded. He understood better than anyone what it was like to be on the receiving end of Yakov's rage; he had been there more times than he cared to count. He turned back to Yuuri with a sigh. "I'm terribly sorry Yuuri but I have to go- it's the last thing I want to do but this is important. I hope you understand."

"I do." Yuuri nodded, disappointment clouding his eyes and making Victor's heart ache. "I'm sorry this had to end, I very much enjoyed your company Your Highness. Maybe we can do this again another time?"

Yuuri thought he might have stretched his boundaries, asking for more time with the Crown Prince, but Victor's face lit up in joy as he grasped his hands again. "I would love to Yuuri," he said. "How about you dine with me, tomorrow night? We can dine in my apartments so it will be private and I can say it's diplomatic business so we won't be interrupted."

He shot a short glare over at Chris on the last word but he didn't miss the warm grin that spread across Yuuri's face. "I would love to Your Highness." He said, squeezing Victor's hand back and making him smile even wider. "It would be my greatest pleasure."

"Then it is settled." Victor said gleefully. "On one condition."

"Which is?" Yuuri asked, nerves settling in the pit of his belly. What would he be expected to do? His lessons had never prepared him for dining with a prince, especially one who was so enrapturing.

"You can't call me Your Highness." Victor told him. "You have to call me by my name the whole evening."

"And if I don't?" Yuuri asked with a hint of challenge in his voice, making Chris raise his eyebrow a little and Victor give an almost evil grin.

"If you don't, then you have to do exactly as I say."

"Don't I already do that as your loyal subject?" Yuuri asked with laughter in his voice before he gave a bow. "Very well- I will see you tomorrow evening, Victor." And with that, he turned around and began to walk away, leaving a giggling lord and a stunned prince in his wake.

"Chris," Victor said weakly as he watched Yuuri go. "What have I done?"

"You've just awakened a servant of Eros my friend," Chris answered with a low whistle. "And you better be prepared to take responsibility for your actions."

 _Sassy Yuuri is my favourite Yuuri._

 _Interesting fact- I recently learned that in Russia, the wife of the Tsar was only referred to as the Tsarina before 1721; after that they were known as Empress. Neat huh? I'm not sure quite when this story is going to be set, I'm just adding in little historical facts I find cool._

 _Thank you to everyone for your comments, they did really encourage me to get this out quickly. More will definitely do the same!_


	4. Chapter 4

"Vitya!" Yakov bellowed, his head shooting up from his pile of paperwork as Victor waltzed into the room, a song on his lips as he floated in like he was on a cloud. "Do you have any idea what time it is?! You were supposed to be here looking over the trade agreements two hours ago!"

"I was?" Victor asked, his voice absent and dreamy as he gave a twirl, looking for a second like he was spinning on the ice before he flopped gracefully into his chair. "I didn't realise."

"You didn't realise?!" Yakov fumed, gripping the edge of his desk so hard, it was a wonder the mahogany didn't splinter into pieces. "Vitya, I told you about this five times yesterday! Don't you remember?!"

Victor's forehead creased in deep thought as he brought a hand to his chin. Yesterday, yesterday… he had met Yuuri yesterday. He had danced with him and now this morning he had learnt his name and talked to him and kissed his hand… A blissed-out smile spread slowly across his face like warm syrup and Yakov gave a loud groan.

"Vitya," he groaned his nickname in exasperation. He looked up from his work to see Victor lounging back in his chair, smiling sweetly up at nothing, and his eyebrows shot up to where his hairline had once been. Victor had been his charge since he had started his schooling; it had been Yakov who set up the boy's timetable and dropped in on his lessons to report back to his mother and father on his progress. As he had grown up, Yakov had taken on more and more of his education, particularly in the art of statesmanship, and now he was educating Yuri in the same practise. Over the years, he had come to view Victor as the son he had never had and he often thought the Tsar didn't appreciate his oldest son enough. He had seen him at his best and helped him through his worst and even though Victor drove him crazy at times and was probably responsible for most of his hair loss, he knew he could never just step away from him. He had far too much loyalty and he cared far too much to do that.

However, he had never seen Victor quite like this before; the man looked like he was on some sort of drug, his eyes wide and misty like clouded glass, his limbs floppy and relaxed and his mouth curved into that ridiculous heart-shaped smile that only appeared when he was truly happy. Yakov was almost stunned seeing it on his face. That smile had only appeared a few times since the death of the Tsarina and even then, those times had been fleeting, the smile only skimming over his face like a stone before it sank. Now it was stuck on his face like it was never going to leave and Yakov was beginning to get worried. Had the Crown Prince really had that much to drink last night? His glass hadn't been spiked, had it? Damn that Lord Giacometti, if he put something in there for a laugh, I'll hang his guts from all the cathedrals in Russia…

"Vitya!" He demanded a little more insistently, making Victor finally leave his trance and look over at him. "What has gotten into you?"

Victor cocked his head in confusion, making him look startlingly like Maccachin when she didn't understand the meaning of 'go away.' "What do you mean Yakov?"

"What do I mean?" Yakov boomed, sounding flabbergasted. "What I mean is, you're acting funny this morning! I told you yesterday that we had to do this and you needed to be up early in the morning but when I went to your apartments, there were clothes all over the place and you weren't there! I know you're forgetful but it's not like you to shirk your duties like this. These new details are very important and I needed you here hours ago to oversee them but you were nowhere to be found. I had to go searching for you in the gardens and I ended up finding Lord Giacometti in the bushes!"

He gave a long groan and rubbed his eyes as the image he knew would never go away once again surfaced in his mind and he heard Victor give a small giggle. He had never trusted the Swiss man, thinking he had always been a bad influence on his precious Vitya and what he had seen earlier had only proved his point. He wished he could unsee the image of Lord Giacometti rolling around in the hedges of the Tsar's maze, his legs around the waist of a visiting British nobleman and his tongue halfway down his throat but he knew he probably never would. Damn the stupid man, he thought, his fingers pulling at his tufts of grey hair like he could pull the memory out and chuck it away. It was only the sound of Victor laughing at his pained expression that brought his thoughts back to what he was supposed to be doing and he fixed the prince with his harshest glare.

"Stop laughing Victor, it was one of the most harrowing experiences of my life! I'm seriously considering limiting the time you spend with that man." He said gruffly and Victor stopped laughing at once. "What I was going to say was that when Lord Giacometti finally untangled himself from that poor man, I asked him where you were and he said you were with some Japanese envoy and that I shouldn't disturb you! And now when you finally get here, you're acting like this! What's going on Vitya?"

His worry was now evident on his lined face and Victor felt guilty enough for it to show on his face. He hadn't meant to scare Yakov like that and accidentally traumatise him; he had just been so wrapped up in finding and then getting to know Yuuri that everything else had just faded into the background. "Yakov, I'm really sorry," he said, pouting a little in a way that made him look like a child again. "I forgot you told me about the trade agreements and I didn't mean to disappear this morning. I just got distracted, that's all. I promise it won't happen again."

"I've heard that before young man." Yakov said with a little sigh. Although he was annoyed, he couldn't stay really mad at Victor for too long. He was going to let the issue drop with the apology but then something Victor said snagged in his mind and he looked back over at him again. "What distracted you? What was such a great distraction, it made you forget your duties?" His eyes narrowed. "That envoy… that wasn't that Japanese man who was dancing at the Winter Ball last night, was it?"

"His name is Yuuri Katsuki," Victor suddenly grinned, his hands clasped over his chest as he stared back up at the ceiling dreamily. "Oh Yakov, he's the cutest thing, his face is so cute and chubby and I just want to pinch his cheeks and he goes so pink when he's embarrassed, it's adorable! And his Russian is so perfect and he looks so smart in his Japanese clothes, he called it a kimono and it looked so good on him and he's just so sweet and sassy and-Oh God, I didn't think to ask him if he liked poodles! Do you think he likes poodles Yakov?"

He turned innocently to look at the older man who was staring at him in bewilderment. "You're telling me you spent the whole morning with the man who was shamelessly displaying himself at the ball? Vitya, his dancing was so lewd, some women were asking for their smelling salts! And some men were too!" Victor just blinked at him and Yakov felt like punching the desk. "You have to see sense Victor! This Yuuri Katsuki is not a suitable person for you to be seen with!"

"But I danced with him too!" Victor protested. "He was drunk, he didn't mean to do that! When I went to go see him this morning, he bowed and apologised to me! And he really was so nice Yakov, he was so sweet when we went walking in the gardens. He said I had my mother's eyes, that I have the same kind light she had." Victor sharply looked down at his lap, his shoulders wilting a little and when he looked back up at Yakov, his eyes were glimmering sadly. "Do you think I have her eyes Yakov?"

The old man's expression softened as he looked at Victor. He could feel his heart ache as he looked at his purest of blue eyes and soft silver hair; with those, he sometimes looked so much like his mother that Yakov had to collect himself to stop him from crying in front of the boy. He had known Natalya for most of her life as her noble father had been Yakov's childhood friend. He had helped to elevate his status and got him his high position as an advisor and in return, Yakov had obtained a spot at court for his only daughter. He had known her since she was a pretty little girl, running around the garden with her dolls and demanding he play tea parties with her, and he had watched as she entered the court a beautiful confident young woman, ready to conquer the world. She had been a bright burning light glowing like a candle in the stuffiness of the court and it was no surprise when half the court fell in love with her. The only surprise came when her most devoted and most persistent suitor was the young Crown Prince, the man who was soon to become the Tsar of all Russia.

Yakov had done everything to help the young couple as he fell head over heels for her and she slowly began to fall for him. He had made all the necessary agreements, he had been the one to draft the formal betrothal and he had stood next to her father with tears in his eyes when the pair had been married in St Petersburg under the watchful eye of all the court. Everyone had been so happy just to see the loving light shining from both of their faces and for years, it seemed like everything was going perfectly. This perfection was only cemented a year later when the new Crown Princess gave birth to a baby boy.

It was the Tsarina who had put Yakov in charge of her son a few years later when her husband had been crowned Tsar and she had been made his queen. "I know you'll take good care of him," she had said with a smile as the two of them had watched a tiny giggling toddler play with the lace at the hem of her dress, crying out "Sparkly!" as he patted at it with his pudgy hands. "You took very good care of me after all."

After that, Yakov had had no choice but to throw all the energy he had into caring for the boy; the one thing he could never bear to do was let her down. She had been almost like his daughter and when her own father had sadly passed away when Victor was just seven, it had been his shoulder she had cried on. A few years later, when Victor had been twelve, she had given birth to her second child and she had insisted on not only naming the baby after her father but also on having Yakov stand in her father's place at the christening. Things had been looking up for them again; she had two beautiful sons, a doting husband and a country that adored her. It seemed like nothing could go wrong, which made it all the worse when it suddenly did four years later.

When the Tsarina had died, everything had felt like it was falling apart. Yakov had felt like crumpling, just lying down on the floor and never getting up. He had raged at the Russian Orthodox Church for ages afterwards; how could it be God's will that a beautiful young girl had been taken so early from her children whilst childless old fools like him stayed alive? However, he had had to stay strong for her sons. The Tsar had shut himself away in their shared apartments for a week after her death and when he had emerged, he was no longer the warm young man who had served his country as a hero and won round the most beautiful woman at court. He had become cold, his eyes turned to icy steel as he busied himself with the business of the country and not with his own sons. In the years after the loss of their mother, it had been Yakov who the boys had turned to and he, along with his ex-wife Lilia, had been the ones who had helped to mould them into princes. Every year, he had watched as Victor grew more and more like his mother and each year, it grew even more bittersweet.

"Yes Vitya," He said eventually. "You do have her eyes. You're the spitting image of her. She'd be very proud to see you right now, to see how far you've come."

Victor gave a smile at that, a faint imitation of the one he had given earlier, but a smile nonetheless. Yakov found himself smiling back before he made a gruff sound and turned back to his paperwork. "Knowing her, she probably would have encouraged you swanning around the garden when you're supposed to be working but I will not. I am also not going to encourage you seeing that Katsuki man. He doesn't seem like good news."

"But Yakov!" Victor whined as he practically threw himself on his desk, splaying himself on the paperwork and making several sheets flutter to the floor like oversized snowflakes. "Why?"

"Because, I don't want you making trouble," Yakov told him, ignoring how Victor was pouting at him. That face may have got him out of trouble when he was younger but it wasn't going to work now. "Enough of a scene was made at the Winter Ball, I don't need any more- your father will not be pleased if there was more scandal in this court."

Victor huffed. "The only scandal that could happen right now is if he sends Yuri off into the army."

"What?!" Yakov suddenly shouted, causing Victor to jump and nearly fall out of his chair. "Who's sending Yuri into the army?!"

"Oh, didn't you hear?" Victor said, in his innocent tone that would have usually made Yakov grit his teeth but the man was so angry, it had no effect. "At the ball, Yuri and Father had a discussion and Father thinks that his behaviour is so out of control, he wants him to be enrolled in the army. I was trying to find him that night to persuade him not to but I just couldn't find him. I thought he would have said something to you…"

"He said nothing of the sort!" Yakov boomed, his volume loud enough to make people in the corridors outside wince and quickly scurry away. "And I know why, because he knew I'd shoot it down in a second! Yuri, in the army, it's preposterous! The boy is only fifteen and he looks like he's made of twigs! He would never stand a chance! Plus, Lilia would never forgive me if that boy was sent away during his ballet training…" He grimaced at the thought of angering his ex-wife; the two of them had divorced only a couple of years ago but they had stayed amicable because they both had the two prince's best interests at heart. The two of them may have fallen out of love but Yakov still had a grudging respect for her and the last thing he wanted to do was make her angry like that. "And as for him being out of control, it's absurd! You were ten times worse than him when you were his age and there was no talk of sending you into the army!"

"Quite right." Victor agreed, a smug smile on his face as he watched Yakov work himself into a frenzy, his face turning the colour of beetroot as he looked ready to rip someone's head off. This was going to be fun. "And from what Yuri told me at the ball, he really doesn't want to go either. The poor thing was practically begging me to go and talk to him, he was almost in tears…"

His smile grew wider as Yakov looked ready to explode. That was the final straw for Yakov and Victor knew it; if anyone dared to make Yuri cry, heads would roll and Yakov would be the one happily kicking them along.

"That does it!" Yakov yelled even louder than before. "Your father is going insane! I don't care how much he idolises that bunch of pompous soldiers, he is not making his son one of them! I'm going to go and have a word with him, Victor you stay here and look over that trade agreement. Make sure everything is as it should be!"

And with that, Yakov stomped from the room, pushing the doors out into the corridor with such force they bounced off the walls. As he stalked away, muttering about idiot monarchs and ridiculous fancies, Victor sent a cheery wave after him.

"OK, goodbye!" He trilled, a happy smile on his face now he had fulfilled his promise. There was no way Yuri was going into the army now, he thought, not now Yakov's on his case. He leant back in his chair and gave a pleased sigh. Now he could focus on what was really important- planning his dinner with Yuuri.

Now, he thought, pushing the trade agreement to the other side of his desk and pulling out a fresh piece of paper. How many candles would Chris say is too many?

OOO

Back in his room, Yuuri was having a small meltdown. He shakily opened the doors to his and Phichit's shared rooms, his limbs feeling ready to collapse with exhaustion and his mind on edge. The moment he had stepped out of Victor's presence and back into the heavy world of diplomacy, everything had started to go wrong and now it was over, he felt frayed, like a piece of string that was slowly unravelling into a pile of useless fibres. It couldn't have gone worse if he tried and, for the first time since he got to the Russian court, he felt like he would have been better staying back at home.

It had started off with the looks. He had felt their weight on him as he made his way back from the gardens, ladies peering at him from over their fans and gentlemen not even trying to hide their gazes as they followed him down the corridor. He had seen them whispering in each other's ears, their whispers too low for him to understand what they were saying but their buzzing sound had followed him all the way to his room and then back to his meeting with the ambassador, trailing him like a shadow. It made his skin crawl to hear it- he had never enjoyed being the centre of attention like this and the watchful eyes had felt like stone weights holding him back. They had churned him up inside and made him nervous and that had led up to his mess of a meeting.

He had sat by the side of the Japanese ambassador, hoping that he could forget all that and absorb himself in his work but instead it had only gotten worse. The other foreign envoys in the meeting weren't even trying to conceal the fact they were talking about him and their eyes on him had made him feel like he was tainted, his shame a stain for the whole world to see. His cheeks had gone red knowing that they were all talking about him and his behaviour last night and it had made him feel sick. He had never imagined he would find himself at the centre of court gossip- all he had wanted to do was work and keep his head down but, thanks to his father's genes passing down his family's tendency to go overboard when drunk, that hadn't happened in the slightest.

His embarrassment had built and built and built until he had been close to having a panic attack in the room. His hands had been shaking like leaves caught in a storm and when the ambassador had asked him to pass some water, he had nearly spilled it on the important documents. He had smudged his ink several times on his notes, made numerous spelling errors and by the end of the meeting, the ambassador had made him stand outside for a moment, believing he was sick. The short walk to the door had been the most humiliating of Yuuri's life as the whispering behind him had intensified and he could only imagine what they were saying.

 _Serves him right for turning up drunk._

 _I can't believe he showed his face._

 _He was in such a state last night. How can he look at himself?_

 _What the hell would anyone want with him now?_

He was thankful the Japanese ambassador was very understanding and let him get back to his room earlier than normal so he could rest. Grateful, he had almost grovelled in his thanks and apologies and he had hurried back through the Imperial Palace, not wanting to be seen a moment longer. Was it still possible to go into hiding? He wondered. Maybe not now the Crown prince had sought him out.

The Crown Prince… Yuuri only had to think of those precious hours walking in the gardens with Victor to feel warmth bubbling in his chest and heat blushing in his face. Victor had been everything he had ever imagined and more. He was even more stunning up close, his eyes like crystals and his skin like porcelain and Yuuri wasn't sure how he had managed not to stare at him the entire time he had been in his company. There was just something about him that made it impossible not to be drawn to him and when he had smiled down at him, Yuuri had felt like he was being blessed.

However, despite his ethereal looks, Victor had been far more human than Yuuri had imagined; the way he had spoken about his long-ago trip to Japan and the way his eyes had teared up when his mother had been mentioned had close to broken Yuuri's heart and he could only hope that he had been able to comfort him, even just for that moment. That side to him that had thanked him for saying he had his mother's eyes and listened to him like he genuinely wanted to know him… that was a side he had never expected to see but now that he had, he wanted more. It was clear to him that Victor didn't open up to many people and that saddened him, to think that Victor couldn't fully be himself. If I was around him all the time, he thought, I'd never want him to be anything but himself.

And tomorrow, he was going to see him again. Yuuri close to winced as he finally collapsed on his bed. He felt all the tension rush from his limbs, leaving him feeling like a floppy pancake as he sank into his sheets but his stomach still felt like it was twisting inside him. When he thought about how the Crown Prince had asked him to dinner, requesting he only call him by his first name in that smooth voice, and when he remembered how he had answered, his face flared up and he wanted to bury himself in his blankets. He had no idea where that flash of confidence had come from; it had left him just as quickly as it had arrived and after saying that, he had found himself almost running out of the maze, desperate to put some distance between him and his huge embarrassment. Would the Prince have found that an impertinent thing to say? Was he already regretting inviting Yuuri to dine with him in his private apartments? Yuuri sank his head into his pillow. He probably was.

What would the Crown Prince want with a nobody like me? He thought, feeling his anxiety rise like a wave inside him. He had always struggled with his anxiety; it was exhausting having to constantly battle against the negative voices that swamped his head and sometimes it was just too hard to fight them. It felt like that now, his doubts prickling at the corners of his mind as they went to invade it, becoming an orchestra as they bombarded him over and over again.

 _He probably just invited you out of pity._

 _I bet he hated every moment with you in the gardens._

 _He's just too polite to say he's disappointed in you._

 _You're nothing. Why would he waste his time?_

Yuuri felt like crying as his thoughts continued to get worse. Maybe I shouldn't go tomorrow, he thought, pressing his face harder into the pillow and digging his nails deep into his palms. It will just save both of us a lot of embarrassment. I'll just avoid him for the rest of my time at court, then I can go home and forget this ever happened…

"Yuuri!" He suddenly heard a cheerful voice calling him from the door and he looked up just before Phichit's body came crashing down on his in a hug that almost cracked his ribs. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you, I went to the end of your meeting but the ambassador said you'd already left! You need to tell me everything about what happened with Victor right now! Was he nice? What did you talk about? Did you bring up the fact you've been crushing on him since you were twelve?"

"Phichit, no!" Yuuri cried out, finally prising Phichit off him so he could roll over onto his back. Phichit perched at the edge of the bed, his brown eyes wide and shining in anticipation and Yuuri could feel his ears burning red. "He was…nice. Really nice. He spoke about his brother and his friends and he asked me about my dancing and my home and he offered to take me ice skating sometime…"

"Yuuri!" Phichit interrupted with a squeal so high, Yuuri wondered how every dog in the palace wasn't clawing at the door. "Are you serious? That's amazing, he must really like you! Oh, my precious boy is growing up and already he's stealing hearts!" He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye as Yuuri frowned up at him.

"You know I'm four years older than you right?"

"That's irrelevant." Phichit waved him away before eagerly bouncing on the bed. "C'mon Yuuri, I need more details! What else did he say?"

"Well I…" Yuuri stammered a little. "I asked him about his trip to Japan and he said he remembered it and then we spoke a little about his mother and I told him his eyes looked just like his mother's… he looked so happy when I said that, I thought he was going to cry. And then he kissed my hand and I think he was going to say something when Lord Giacometti interrupted us."

"Are you kidding me!?" Phichit sprang up outraged, his mouth setting in a thin line and his eyes suddenly looking murderous. "I can't believe that man, spoiling your moment with him… I'll challenge him to a duel and run him through with my sword!"

"Phichit, no!" Yuuri sat up and clung to his friend's sleeve. "You can't go and kill Victor's best friend! He was only interrupting because Victor was needed elsewhere and he was very sorry about it."

"OK." Phichit reluctantly agreed, letting Yuuri pull him back down. "I won't kill him for now. What did Victor say after that?"

"He said he enjoyed walking with me," Yuuri said nervously. "And then… he invited me to dine with him in his private apartments tomorrow evening."

"He what?!" Phichit sprang back up again, this time with a look of pure joy as he jumped up and down and clasped his hands over his chest. "Yuuri, that's amazing! Victor Nikiforov never invites people to dine privately with him unless it's for strict business purposes or they are very close to him. You must have really made an impact! Oh, this morning I thought he looked smitten with you but this is more than I ever imagined!" he gave another loud squeal, sounding like he was trying to shatter glass as Yuuri covered his ears. "We need to decide what you're going to wear, of course the kimono you're wearing is your most formal one but you might have to wear something different, maybe something more casual if it's just going to be you two…"

"Phichit, wait…" Yuuri said, cutting his friend short as he looked down at his lap. "I'm… I'm not sure I should go."

"What?!" Phichit cried out, sitting in front of his friend and lifting his chin up so he could look into his eyes. "Yuuri, why shouldn't you go? Don't you want to? I thought this was your dream?"

"It is!" The tears that had threatened to pour since the moment he had stepped into his earlier meeting suddenly started spilling down Yuuri's cheeks and he gave great hiccupping sobs as he spoke. "But I'm scared Phichit- he was so nice to me and everything was going perfectly earlier but what if he was expecting me to be like I was at the banquet? He probably was bored of me and he's just inviting me to dine with him so he can get rid of me without too much fuss. And today… everyone was just staring at me, I could see them whispering things about me and everyone at the meeting was just looking at me… I felt so embarrassed Phichit, I made a fool of myself and I don't know if I could live with it if Victor told me that to my face…"

"Yuuri, Yuuri, come here," Phichit pulled him into another tight hug, rubbing his hand up and down his back soothingly as he spoke calmly. "Listen to me. Victor is the Crown Prince, he has to deal with a bunch of people clambering for his attention every single day, he has the men and women of the court throwing themselves at his feet all the time just because they want him to look their way- do you really think he would waste his time with someone if he didn't think they were worth it? If he didn't want to see you again, he would have just said goodbye politely and left. Did he do that?"

"N-no." Yuuri answered sniffling and Phichit smiled.

"There you go. And I promise you Yuuri, you should have seen the way he was looking at you this morning. He doesn't think you're a bother, he was staring at you like he'd never seen a human being before in his life. He wants to see you again because he really likes you Yuuri. And as for all those other people… I would bet my camera that they were all whispering about how amazingly you danced last night and how they wished they were the one who got to dance with you. And if some of them were saying mean things about you, then they are just fools and we're not going to give a shit about them. They can go throw themselves off of St Basil's Cathedral for all I care."

"Phichit!" Yuuri gasped at his friend swearing- the last time he heard the Thai man swear, he had left his treasured copy of his favourite book The King and the Skater back in Thailand- but he still giggled and Phichit gave him a warm smile.

"That's my Yuuri," He said fondly. "Feel better now?"

Yuuri gave a nod. Phichit always knew what to say when his anxiety got the better of him and his truthful words had made that warm glow in his chest return. Yes, he thought, Victor really does want to see me tomorrow and tomorrow is going to be just as wonderful as today was. He wiped the trails of silvery water away from his eyes as Phichit once again moved to the wardrobe.

"Great. Now, back to business… how are we going to make Victor drool tomorrow? I bet we could make him faint if we put you in this with a little red lipstick…"

"PHICHIT NO!"

 _Who wants to bet "Phichit no" is half of Yuuri's vocabulary?_

 _Also I love the idea that Yakov is a massive papa bear who acts grumpy but would literally murder anyone who tried to hurt his charges._

 _Interesting thing; St Basil's Cathedral is a real place in Moscow's Red Square and it was opened in 1561. It's a very impressive looking building that you should check out._

 _Next chapter is going to be their meal together! Anyone else excited?_


	5. Chapter 5

The next evening found Victor sitting in his favourite chair by the blazing fireplace in his apartments, his skin itching with anticipation as he stared at the door. His fingers twitched with every sound as he ran them through Maccachin's fur in an attempt to calm himself down, his ears honed in to catch any indications that somebody was approaching. The poodle at his feet happily accepted the fuss even though she had no idea why her master was so agitated, her mouth open in a wide grin as she tried to lick his face. Victor chuckled, fluffing up her fur as he petted her before he looked down into her liquid brown eyes.

"You're going to be a good girl for me tonight, aren't you Macca?" He said, laughing again when she tried to clamber into his lap. "No, no, not tonight girl, I can't have your fur and you slobber all over me! I have to look perfect for Yuuri." He beamed just at the mention of his name and he couldn't help but give Maccachin a squeeze. "I'm so excited! I just want him to be here already! I hope he likes poodles, I'll be heartbroken if he doesn't get along with you… you'll get along with him, won't you Macca?"

Maccachin gave a bark as she wriggled out of Victor's arms and Victor laughed as she bounded across the room. "I thought you'd say that." He grinned as he got up from his chair to make one last round of the room. Yuuri would be here any minute now so the place had to be perfect. Chris had come round earlier that day to help him with the preparations and he had to say, the Swiss man had outdone himself spectacularly.

The first room in Victor's apartments, the one that first met people when they walked in and where Victor would meet and entertain officials, had never looked so lavish or so romantic before. The curtains had all been drawn and several lit candles had been placed around the room, filling the air with a low golden light that gave the room an almost fuzzy feel, like it was being viewed through a thin veil. A small table had been set up in the middle of the room with two of the nicest chairs Victor could find either side of it and a small silver vase with a single blue rose sat in the middle. The flower was the biggest one Victor had found in the gardens earlier and he tenderly brushed his fingers along the rims of the silky petals as he walked past it with a small smile. His mother would have been proud of that one. Swiftly moving away from those thoughts- he didn't want his eyes to go red and puffy with crying and frighten Yuuri away- he went to check the table settings, adjusting the knives and forks on the table so that they were lined up straight and uniform. They were the fanciest set he had managed to swipe from the kitchen earlier, hoping no one would notice they were missing and blame a servant for it. He hadn't wanted to take anything but he didn't want to use his plain personal silverware- he only brought those out for boring diplomatic dinners that were strictly business and he wanted Yuuri to have something more special than that. This set was particularly lovely, he thought, rubbing his sleeve over one knife to make it shine. The set was one of the most precious they had as not only was the cutlery made from aluminium but it was exceptionally beautiful; the handles had been shaped to look like curling vines and at the end of each implement, it looked like a flower was blooming. It appeared so delicate, it looked like a petal would fall away at the slightest touch and Victor gave a satisfied nod. It was just perfect for Yuuri.

Now all he could do was wait. Victor returned to his chair and sank back into it with a sigh. It felt like all he had been doing for the past day was wait; his meeting with the Korean envoys had felt even longer and more painful than usual that morning and after that, he had been dragged into overseeing another trade agreement by Yakov who made it clear he still hadn't forgiven him for being late the day before. The only good thing that had happened was that the plan to send Yuri into the army had been firmly derailed- Yuri had come crashing into his room early that morning to tell him the good news, bursting in exactly like he had done the day before just with less anger.

"You should have seen it Victor!" He had shouted with a wide smile on his face, bouncing excitedly on Victor's bed as he had struggled to sit up and shake himself awake. "Yakov just walked into the throne room and asked to speak to the Tsar but he looked so angry, everyone knew he was going to yell at him for something. They were in Father's rooms for hours but then they both came out and Father didn't look pleased but Lilia told me at ballet practise that he had agreed not to send me into the army unless I asked him first and I'm never doing that in a million years! Yakov totally kicked his butt in there!" He had then stopped bouncing and looked a little more reserved before he said "I'm still mad at you for getting distracted at the ball but thanks for telling Yakov. I guess you're not the biggest idiot in Russia after al-Hey, stop trying to hug me weirdo!"

Victor gave a smile at the thought; even though his father acted coldly at times and didn't appear to take orders from anyone else, he did trust Yakov and valued his and Lilia's opinions, especially when it came to both him and Yuri. He should do, he thought, given that he left them to raise us after Mother died and shut us both out… He let out a long breath as his fingers hooked into the arm rest of his chair. He wasn't going to think bitter thoughts now, not when Yuuri would soon be here.

Almost as if the man had timed it perfectly, the door to Victor's apartments swung open and Victor leapt up from his seat. A servant entered the room, dressed in bright golden livery to indicate his high status as a butler, and lowly bowed, his large nose almost touching the fine carpet before he straightened up and spoke.

"Your Highness, you have a guest waiting outside, a Mr Yuuri Katsuki?"

"Perfect!" Victor exclaimed, before he calmed himself a little and nodded his head. "Please, show him in."

The man gave another low bow before he turned and left. Victor noticed his eyebrow raised as his eyes swept across the decorated room but he was quick to dismiss it as he turned to the mirror. It didn't matter what anybody else thought- the only opinion that he cared about was Yuuri's.

He twisted and turned in front of the large mirror, checking his appearance from every angle to make sure it was perfect. Chris had once again helped him to pick out a set of robes and they had both decided on one of his favourites, a flowing one of pink satin that was embellishing all over with tiny fluttering birds made of pearls and gold thread. The low light wonderfully complimented the colour, making it look almost nude and that sent a thrill up Victor's spine. If people saw me now, dressed like this to receive a man in private… he thought with an excited giggle. It would be round the court in minutes.

He heard the door open again behind him and he spun around so fast, it was only his grace as an ice skater that stopped him from tumbling to the ground. However, the second he laid eyes on the man who was entering the room almost timidly with small steps, he felt like he was falling again as he drank in what he was wearing. His body had been draped in a loose robe of bronze satin with a low swooping neckline and a honey-coloured sash around his waist. The colour showed Yuuri off to absolute perfection, displaying the creaminess of his skin and making the warm colour of his eyes sparkle like pure gold. Victor didn't think he could have chosen a better colour in his life and he was tempted to pass a law that would make it illegal for him to wear any other. Yuuri had also brushed his hair back again, the strands looking a little better behaved this time as none were falling in front of his face, and his make-up was slightly bolder, the line of his eyeliner slightly thicker and his lips were coloured a soft pink that Victor was desperate to taste. Did they have to have dinner? He wondered. Yuuri's lips would surely be a delicacy beyond compare- no food could match up to that.

Yuuri gave him a tentative smile, his eyes shining with the flames of the fireplace, and he realised that once again, he had just been staring at him like a statue. He was about to open his mouth and welcome Yuuri when a flash of brown fur suddenly bolted past him.

"Argh!" Yuuri yelped as Maccachin slammed into his front with all the force of a cannonball, sending him flying backwards as she covered his face in sloppy licks. He ended up flat on his back, trying to push the poodle off him but Maccachin was too big and strong for him to move.

"Maccachin! Bad dog!" Victor shouted as he ran to Yuuri's rescue, grabbing Maccachin's collar and pulling her away, fighting against her as she wriggled around trying to get back to Yuuri. His heart sank as Yuuri wobblily sat up, adjusting his glasses and looking bemused. He's going to be so angry, he's barely been here a minute and already he's going to want to leave… Victor internally panicked as he started spewing apologies.

"Yuuri I'm so sorry, Maccachin isn't usually like this, she's just excited by new people and she wanted to play, I'm so sorry she knocked you over, are you hurt?"

He was about to bend down and start examining Yuuri for injuries but the Japanese man surprised him by giving a laugh and then crawling over to meet Maccachin, smiling warmly at her when she gave a bark and once again tried to drown him in doggy kisses.

"It's OK," he said as he fussed and cooed over Maccachin. "She's very friendly, isn't she? Yes, you are, you're just a friendly puppy, aren't you?"

Victor was so stunned, he lost his grip on Maccachin's collar, allowing her to once again surge forwards and practically climb all over Yuuri. Watching Yuuri play and speak in baby talk to his dog, in almost the same way he spoke to her, was a sight so precious that he thought his heart might combust from the sheer amount of cuteness. "You don't mind?" He asked, the question that he had been meaning to ask popping back up in his head. "Do you like poodles Yuuri?"

"I don't mind at all," Yuuri looked up at him smiling shyly and Victor's heart nearly exploded there and then. "And I love poodles! I have one back in Japan, his name is Vicchan and he's a toy poodle, he's a lot smaller than yours but he's about the same colour…"

Victor felt like he was about to join Yuuri on the floor, he was so overjoyed. Yuuri didn't just like poodles, he loved them. And he had one of his own! God is real, he thought, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes. God is real and he has sent me an angel. An angel named Yuuri Katsuki…

"Hello? Your Hi-sorry Victor, are you alright?" Victor suddenly heard Yuuri's concerned voice and he looked down to see Yuuri was still on his knees, his face worried as he stared up at him. He felt his cheeks flush deep red as he looked down at him. Don't you dare think like that, it is way too early, you dirty-minded pervert… A voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Yuri's started to berate him and he quickly held out a hand to hoist Yuuri back up to his feet. Yuuri gratefully took it and a second later, he was standing back up, Maccachin still jumping at his feet as he gave a smile and a bow.

"Thank you, Victor." He said smoothly and Victor felt a warmth blossom in his chest at the sound of his name coming from those lips.

"It's no trouble," he answered. "Do you want me to put Maccachin in the other room? It looks like she's taken a liking to you and I don't think she'll leave you alone now…"

Yuuri just laughed. "You don't need to do that, I like her too." He said, bending down to pat her head. As he straightened up, he caught sight of the rest of the room bathed in golden candlelight and his eyes widened at the sight of the small table and the blue rose still perched there in its small vase.

"Do you like it?" Victor asked, suddenly anxious. Maybe this had all been a little too much, he thought. I knew I should have listened to Chris when he said there were too many candles…

Yuuri, however, felt too stunned to respond. He hadn't known what to expect when he had arrived at the Crown Prince's apartments; he and Phichit had spent the last two hours discussing it as Phichit had got him ready. Their suggestions had been anything from a grand room reminiscent of the Palace ballroom to a smaller room made of ice (that had been Phichit's suggestion and he had refused to let it go, no matter how many times Yuuri pointed out its impossibility). This room was nothing like either of them had pictured; it was smaller, clearly luxurious but not ostentatiously so, unlike so many rooms in the Palace where the royal family showed off their wealth, and it was cosy, with a well-used armchair by the fireplace and a packed bookshelf in the corner. Thanks to the candles, it also felt surprisingly intimate, like the world had closed in to just include him, Victor and his boisterous poodle. Yuuri had to give a little chuckle at that thought; it didn't sound like such a bad world to him.

"I really like it." He finally answered, making Victor's face light up. "Do you normally go to so much trouble for your guests?"

"Only for the special ones." Victor replied in a flash, making Yuuri's face go bright red and Victor almost cooed at it. He loved how Yuuri got so easily embarrassed, it was the sweetest thing to see how go so red and flustered. He took a few steps towards the table, letting Maccachin settle safely underneath it and smoothing down the tablecloth one last time before he pulled out one of the chairs and smiled over at Yuuri. "Would you care to take a seat?"

Yuuri giggled, his hand going to cover his mouth at Victor's exuberant politeness. "Why thank you, kind Sir." He said, sashaying to the table and giving Victor one quick dashing smile before daintily sitting down. Victor wasn't sure how he managed to scrabble to the other side of the table so fast but he somehow found himself there as he rang a bell on the wall to call for their food.

It wasn't long before a servant walked in and poured them both a glass of wine. Victor instantly took a sip, nodding approvingly at its expensive taste (he had snuck it out of Yakov's wine cellar- the old man had the best taste when it came to alcohol and he was certain the man wouldn't notice one bottle was missing) but Yuuri just eyed it warily.

"Do you not like wine Yuuri?" Victor asked him after a long minute where it looked like Yuuri was attempting to have a staring match with the glass. "I can ask for another drink if you want, we have other wines, whiskey, champagne…"

Yuuri paled at the mention of the last drink and he raised his arm like he was about to shove the drink away. "Is it OK if I have a glass of water too?" He asked, his voice quiet. "I do like wine and I'm sure it's lovely but I don't want to drink too much of it after the last time…"

"Oh! I see." Victor said, suddenly realising what Yuuri was getting at and berating himself for it. Why didn't he think that serving alcohol might look like he was trying to get him drunk again? He really was an idiot. "Of course, I'll ask for some when our food gets here."

"Thank you." Yuuri smiled in what looked like relief and Victor could help but smile back. How could he not- Yuuri was right there, in his private rooms and despite his dog tackling him and his accidental faux pas with the alcohol, he still wanted to be here.

There was silence for a long moment as Yuuri delicately sipped at his wine and Victor admired him. The gentle candlelight was caressing him like a lover, making his skin faintly glow like he was made of pearl and from behind his glasses, his eyes looked like garnets. He was so caught up in his staring that he almost didn't notice when Yuuri gave him a quizzical expression and tilted his head.

"Victor, why are you staring at me like that?"

"Huh?" Victor said, snapping his eyes to Yuuri's and seeing they were sparkling with mirth. "Was I staring?" He asked, trying to sound casual about it but the pink flush on his cheeks betrayed him.

"You were almost drooling on the tablecloth." Yuuri smirked as he took the smallest sip of the wine and Victor's jaw nearly hit the floor. Was this really the same man who had looked so shy when he entered the room earlier? Yuuri had gone from an angel to a devil in less than a minute, switching his personality like it was as easy as lighting a candle, and it made Victor's heart feel like it was seconds away from combusting again, although for an entirely different reason.

"You must forgive me for that," He said, trying to regain some composure. "I can't think of anyone who wouldn't stare if they saw you like that. That robe is utterly beautiful on you."

Now it was Yuuri's turn to blush, his cheeks almost going the colour of the wine. "It's not my robe," He admitted softly. "I borrowed it from Phichit- I only have two outfits formal enough for seeing royalty and I'm afraid you've already seen both."

"Really?" Victor asked in quiet astonishment. That simply won't do, he thought. Yuuri was someone who should have beautiful clothes, things that would show him off to his fullest. He was already thinking off all the different fabrics and cuts that would look good on him as he viewed him over his wine glass and said "I see. We'll have to change that."

Yuuri looked alarmed. "You don't have to give me anything Victor. And people would talk if they suddenly saw me walking about in brand new clothes."

"What if I want to? I'm sure the only reason the court would be talking is because you would look so good in them, they wouldn't think past that." Victor smiled easily back like he was merely offering him another drink. "And besides, I'd like to spoil you Yuuri."

"You already spoil me enough with your presence." The honest sentence slipped out of Yuuri's mouth before he could stop it and he clapped his hand over his lips as if to stop any more coming out. He looked over at Victor, who was just wickedly grinning at him like he had just gotten Yuuri to spill a great secret, and he could only watch spellbound as the Russian prince reached over the table and gently pulled his hand away.

"Tell me a little more about yourself Yuuri."

Yuuri blinked. "I don't think there's that much to tell. I told you most of it in the gardens."

"I think there is." Victor said, still giving him that easy effortless smile that instantly put Yuuri at ease. It was almost hypnotic in the way it calmed him and he was beginning to wonder whether Victor knew that fact and was using it to his advantage. "I think you're fascinating and I want to know as much about you as I can. Tell me more about your life back in Japan? What is your family like? Where is your home? When did you get your dog? I want to know so much."

His blue eyes were wide and eager, reminding Yuuri of a puppy begging for a treat and he gave a small chuckle before he began to speak. "Alright then, if you insist. I grew up in a place called Hasetsu in Japan, it's a small place on the coast and it's famous for its hot springs. My family, the Katsukis are the local nobility there- if people have any difficulties or there are any threats, they come to my father. He deals with all the foreign issues outside Hasetsu and my mother handles all the domestic problems, they're a real team though I do think the province would fall within a day if my mother wasn't there." He gave a small laugh and Victor gave a chuckle too even though his heart wasn't in it; Yuuri speaking of his mother running their province made him think of his own and how things had fallen apart once she had gone. Yuuri, seeming to sense this, quickly went to move on. "We had our own hot springs at the top of the hill, people used to come around for miles just to bathe in it. It was said the waters had healing powers though I think really people liked to come and relax. My sister Mari and I used to help out there when we were little- people thought it was unusual that the son and daughter of the local lords would serve people but my parents always thought it was important that we knew our subjects, that way we could understand them and rule better."

"How very interesting." Victor said, his head firmly placed on his hands as he leant over the table, trying to get as close to Yuuri as humanly possible. "We never had anything like that here. I suspect my father would have considered it treasonous."

"It was considered odd, even back in Japan." Yuuri explained, taking another drink of wine. He felt more relaxed now that he was actually sitting with Victor and it was clear he wasn't going to be thrown out. He also felt more confident as he talked about his home; it was somewhere he knew well and loved and he felt nostalgic as he talked about it with a clear fondness. "Japan is still heavily feudal but I do think things are improving. We are certainly getting on better with the West- that's how I was able to come here and how my parents were able to get hold of a poodle puppy for me."

"Ah yes, Vicchan, wasn't it?" Victor asked eagerly and Yuuri gave a shy nod. "Tell me about him!" He said, clapping his hands like a child about to get a bedtime story and Yuuri had to laugh a little at his exuberance.

"OK… but it is a little embarrassing…" He started to say before he was suddenly interrupted by the door opening again and the same servant from earlier reappearing. She was carrying two steaming bowls that she sat in front them both, being careful to make sure Victor's hit the tablecloth just before Yuuri's, before she gave a quick bow.

"Enjoy." She whispered quietly in Russian with a small nod of her head but just as she was turning to leave, Victor's hand tapped at her arm and she paused.

"Excuse me," he asked, using a formal but polite tone Yuuri hadn't heard before. "Could you get a glass of water for my guest here? If it isn't too much trouble."

The servant's eyes widened a little at his words and Yuuri saw them quickly glance at him with suspicion but she only nodded as she scurried off to carry out his order. Within seconds, she had returned with a glass of water which she set down in front of Yuuri with another bow before leaving. Yuuri gave a little sigh when she disappeared again; he didn't know what it was but something told him that this wasn't normal procedure and it was making him nervous. However, he was soon distracted from that by Victor enthusiastically crying out "Vsukno!" as he surveyed the food in front of him with glee.

"This is my absolute favourite!" He gushed, picking up his spoon and scooping up some of the thick stew. "Yuuri have you ever had borshch before?"

Yuuri looked down at the bowl in front of him. The steaming liquid was thick and coloured a deep purple, with large chunks in it that appeared to form an island in the middle of the bowl. It smelt very rich and spicy, the steam curling upwards almost seeming to be inviting him to taste it, but the strange colour was a little off-putting. He didn't think he had ever had purple food before. "Umm no," He finally answered, still staring down at the bowl. "I don't think I have… what is it?"

"It's beetroot," Victor explained, taking a mouthful of it and closing his eyes in pleasure. "It's made with vegetables and beef stock and it's so good! Our chefs make the best, here, try some!"

Before Yuuri could say a word, Victor had already scooped up more of the stew with his spoon and was arching himself over the table. His arm was outstretched around the blue rose in the centre and the end of the spoon was hovering a few inches away from Yuuri's lips. Yuuri suddenly froze, feeling paralyzed as his eyes glanced between Victor and the spoon. Was Victor really going to feed him? He thought in panic. Surely he can't be serious…

"Go on Yuuri! I promise it's good!" Yuuri looked up to see Victor's eyes were locked onto him. In the low light, they were piecing, shining bright with their enthusiasum like they were luminescent. He looked excited for Yuuri to be trying his favourite dish and proud to be the one to serve it to him, but Yuuri could also see there was an edge of a dare in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to see what Yuuri would do when presented with such an intimate thing as feeding each other and Yuuri felt like smirking again. If there was one thing he knew about himself, it was that he could never resist a challenge; he had always been competitive and he hated to lose anything. His friends had learned a long time ago not to dare him to do anything but Victor still had no idea what he was in for. Yuuri gave a little smile. He was never going to see this coming.

He opened his mouth and leant forwards, licking his lips quickly in a way that nearly made Victor drop the spoon in shock. He closed his lips around the metal spoon and dragged his head backwards, keeping his eyes on Victor the whole time. The warm liquid hit his tongue and he had to admit, it was delicious- the earthly beetroot and the rich taste of the fine meat went perfectly together, the flavours dancing on his tongue but his main focus wasn't on the food but on Victor's face.

The man looked like he was in a trance, his eyes staring at Yuuri's mouth as if he was bewitched by their movements. He moved his hand back, drawing the spoon slowly out of his mouth but his arm moved like it didn't belong to him, like he had forgotten it was even there. His mouth had dropped slightly open and his eyes were glassy as he kept them on Yuuri's, like they were staring into another world that only he could see. His throat bobbed as he gave a swallow and he slowly pulled himself back to his seat, his eyes still not leaving Yuuri's face.

Yuuri shot him another smirk as he picked up his own spoon and took another mouthful of the stew, this time from his own bowl. "Vsukno." He purred, glancing over at the Russian prince one last time before he started to tuck in and Victor nearly collapsed out of his chair. He had never expected that the shy man in front of him could transfix him so easily- was the alcohol at work again? He glanced over at Yuuri's glass of wine but it still looked mostly full, like Yuuri had barely had a mouthful. I truly have awakened Eros, he thought, thinking back to Chris's words in the garden. If this is what happens to me when I see only a flash of it, how am I going to react when I see all of it?

There was a long moment of silence as Yuuri enjoyed his borshch and Victor tried to remember how to form words. He only managed it again when they had both finished their stew and their bowls had been whisked away by the same female servant who kept casting her eyes warily over Yuuri as she refilled their glasses. Once she had left the room, he looked back over at Yuuri and nearly gulped before he said. "Weren't you going to tell me about your dog Yuuri?"

Yuuri's confidence from the previous few minutes drained from his face and his cheeks flushed with a shade of deep crimson that was becoming very familiar to Victor and steadily becoming one of his favourite colours. He gave a small whine of embarrassment and Victor smiled again as the tables once again turned. Now he was the one who held the power in the room and, after the state Yuuri had left him in, he wasn't going to go easy on him.

"Aw, were you hoping I had forgotten?" He teased and Yuuri gave him a short glare.

"I told you, it's embarrassing."

"But you're so cute when you're embarrassed!" Victor cooed at him and Yuuri only went redder.

"I don't want to tell you now." He said stubbornly, turning his head away and crossing his arms over his chest and hiding the slim line of skin the low neckline had been displaying proudly. Victor almost felt like pouting at the loss of it and he pressed his hands together as he gave Yuuri his widest saddest eyes.

"Please tell me Yuuri," he pleaded. "I promise I won't be mean anymore."

Yuuri looked back over at him and he nearly burst out laughing. Victor looked the image of his own dog when he wanted something, right down to the large eyes and sulky expression, and the fact that the Russian Crown Prince was doing this just to hear the story of his dog was just absurd to him. What would the court think if they saw him like this because of me? He thought and a thrill ran down his spine. However, just like with his dog, the puppy eyes were practically impossible to resist and he found himself giggling and uncrossing his arms.

"OK, OK, if you promise not to be mean, I'll tell you." He finally said, continuing to laugh when Victor happily clapped his hands together in victory and leant back in his chair, the happy grin on his face almost looking goofy with how wide it was. "Well, this is a little embarrassing because… you remember how I said I first saw you when I was twelve and I used to read the news sheets for stuff about you?" Victor nodded, his eyes beginning to glint like he knew where this was going and Yuuri gave a little gulp at what was to come. "Well, one day I was reading this one news sheet and it mentioned the fact you had just been given a poodle. There was a picture of you with Maccachin when she was just a little puppy and you were cuddling her in your arms and she was licking your face… It was so cute that I cut it out and put it on my wall and from that second on, all I talked about was poodles. I desperately wanted one of my own and I used to mention them so much, my sister used to warn the guests not to mention dogs of any kind because I'd just start talking about them and they wouldn't get a chance to leave."

He blushed deeply at the memory, nearly hiding his face behind his hands but Victor was hooked on every word. His smile was growing comically wider and he thought his cheeks would rip if he carried on. Still, he found he couldn't stop; Yuuri's story was just so adorable and just the thought of a tiny, even cuter Yuuri chattering excitedly about poodles to a bunch of strangers trying to have a bath was just so adorable, he wanted to squeal.

"Anyway," Yuuri continued, clearly trying to speed through the story as fast as he could. "There was one day when my parents ordered Mari to take me out of the house on some errands down in the town. It wasn't an unusual thing for her to take me but I remember she was acting funny that day; she wouldn't stop sniggering at me and when I asked her why, she just said nothing and walked on. I was getting really wound up by this and when we got back home, I ran to go and tell my mother but I stopped just outside the door because I could hear barking. I thought it wasn't real for the longest moment, I thought I was imagining it but then the door flew open and this tiny fluffy puppy tumbled out and flew at me. He was still a baby but I was in such a state of shock, he managed to knock me over. I was only convinced he was real when I felt his tongue on my face and his claws in my chest." Yuuri gave a warm laugh at the memory and Victor felt his own warmth flood him at the sound; it was just so happy and carefree and he wanted it to be the only sound Yuuri ever made. "It turns out my father had a word with some merchants from Europe and they were able to find a poodle who was going to give birth, so they put her on their ship and brought her to Japan where she gave birth to her litter. All of the puppies were adopted by other families from all over Japan but my father got the first pick. I remember him giving me a strict lecture about taking care of a pet, saying he wasn't a toy and if he ever had to feed him or pick up his poo, he was going straight back to Europe on the next boat. I'm proud to say he never had to do that." Yuuri gave a wide smile at that before he blushed again. "When he told me he was a male puppy, I had to call him Vicchan… after the person who inspired me to get one."

Victor's eyes went as wide as saucers. "You named him after me?"

"I know, it's a little weird…" Yuuri started to say but he was interrupted when Victor gave the loudest squeal he had ever heard and dived over the table to take his hands.

"Are you kidding me?!" He said, sounding ecstatic. "I've never been so flattered in my life! That's the most adorable thing I've ever heard and I'm so happy!" He squeezed his hands tightly, holding onto them like he never wanted to let them go and Yuuri's face felt so hot, he wasn't sure how it hadn't burst into flames yet. "I can't believe you named your dog after me!"

"Yeah…" Yuuri said, part of him wanting a hole to swallow him up as he cringed at his past self. However, the rest of him felt a burst of pride at how Victor was reacting; not only was he taking the news well but he seemed to be genuinely pleased about it which did relieve some of the embarrassment he felt. There were only small traces of it left now and he could almost manage to look Victor in the eyes again. "My sister teased me about it for months afterwards. She couldn't believe I had actually done it."

"Well, I'm very glad you did." Victor beamed at him, leaning back to sit down in his chair but keeping one of his hands on Yuuri's. He rested them both in the middle of the table as he slowly and carefully wound their fingers together. His thumb was gently rubbing a small circle into his skin, just like it had done in the gardens, and Yuuri could hear his heart thudding like a war drum in his chest. This somehow seemed more intimate than the spoon feeding but, unlike that situation, he had no idea what to do. Was this proper behaviour? Was someone going to leap out from behind a curtain and send him away for touching the prince when he shouldn't be? Victor seemed to sense his nerves and the circling stopped.

"Is this alright Yuuri?" He asked softly, like if he spoke at his normal volume the moment would shatter around them. He made to unlace their fingers and move his hand away but he was stopped by Yuuri suddenly gripping at his hand, keeping them tightly bound.

"Yeah, this… this is f-fine." He said shakily, trying to look anywhere but at Victor as his cheeks continued to flare red. Victor gave another wide grin and squeezed his hand again.

"I'm glad." He said softly, his thumb resuming drawing patterns on Yuuri's skin. This time, he didn't just keep to a small patch of his skin; his thumb ran all the way down his wrist and back up in a winding line like he was trying to touch as much skin as he possibly could and it was driving Yuuri crazy. Each time, Victor's thumb would push itself a little further until he was almost touching the silk of his sleeve and Yuuri found that he was struggling to control his breathing. It was like his lungs had just filled with gravel and his stomach had filled with heat but he couldn't concentrate on them; all his attention had been absorbed by the slow seductive movements of Victor's hands and the man's hypnotising blue eyes.

The door suddenly opened again and the servant strolled back into the room, holding two plates aloft. "Your desserts, Your Highness."

"Perfect!" Victor smiled, unfazed by her sudden appearance as he continued to hold on to Yuuri's hand. Yuuri froze up as his plate was put in front of him as he felt himself beginning to panic. He could see the way the servant had stared at their entwined hands, her eyebrows raising at the sight of them so intimately touching and he could almost hear the words that would pour from her tongue when she got back to her station. _What is the Crown Prince doing with someone like him? This is most improper behaviour! He is not fit to be there, let alone in such circumstances!_ However, Victor wasn't even the slightest bit perturbed as he looked down at his plate and made another excited noise.

"Oooh pastila! These are delicious!" He said, grinning as he picked up one of the small squares with the hand that wasn't linked with Yuuri's. "Have you had these before Yuuri?"

This time, Yuuri was able to nod; pastila were a fruit confectionary that were very popular around the court and they had been one of the first foods he had been introduced to when he had arrived in Russia. They were sometimes handed out in particularly long and dull meetings and Phichit loved them; Yuuri had been a witness to him sneaking the small fruity squares off of other people's plates far too many times for comfort. As he sunk his teeth into one however, he found these were far superior to any he had ever had before. These ones were sugary, whilst most of the ones he had been served were made with honey, and they had a much thicker white foam on top that reminded him strongly of marshmallow. Yuuri had always been a great lover of food- he could go on and on about his mother's katsudon for days- and the tasty sweetmeats easily appealed to his taste buds. Before he knew it, he had finished half of his plate and he only stopped when he glanced up at Victor and saw the man was just smiling fondly at him, his first half-eaten sweet still in his hand.

"Oh sorry!" Yuuri blurted out, dropping the pastila he was about to bite into. "Was I supposed to wait for you to start or-"

Victor chuckled. "Not at all Yuuri. I just enjoy watching you be happy. I got the palace chefs to make the finest pastila they could- I'm very glad you're enjoying them."

Yuuri blushed as he dipped his head a little but Victor still caught the small smile that he gave. For a moment, there was a peaceful quiet as the two of them enjoyed their dessert before Victor casually asked him "Where is Vicchan now Yuuri? Did you bring him over to Russia with you?"

"Unfortunately, I couldn't," Yuuri explained. "Though he still acts like a puppy, he is very old and I didn't want to risk his health by taking him on a boat trip and then making him live in a brand-new place he doesn't know. My rooms here aren't the proper size for a dog and I'd have to leave him for long periods of time to attend to my duties… it just wasn't practical. He's still back in Japan living in my parent's hot springs and I know he's happy there. It's funny, I've only been here three months and I miss him terribly." He gave a short sigh as he sipped at his wine and Victor could detect the sheer sadness of it. "When you've had a dog around you for so long, the world seems quite empty without one."

"I know exactly what you mean- I always miss Macca when I'm away for state business." Victor said, his hand going under the table to give his dog a pat. "That's why I try to bring her with me as much as possible. Trips away are never so bad when she's there. It's a shame Vicchan isn't here though, I'd have loved to meet my namesake."

"You're never going to let that go now, are you?" Yuuri groaned, already sensing a future of teasing up ahead. Victor only confirmed it when he gave a wide cheeky grin.

"Never."

The two continued to talk about their dogs as they finished their desserts and the servant once again emerged to remove their plates and refill their glasses. She seemed to be surprised that Yuuri was still there and surprised that their hands were still linked together; her eyes kept wandering to them as she poured their drinks but Yuuri found as the minutes ticked by, he minded less and less. Instead of feeling embarrassed, he felt almost proud of the fact that he was there holding Victor's hand in so comfortable and intimate a gesture. He felt almost pleased when he saw her scurry away once her duties were finished, presumably to go and spread the word about it among the palace servants. Good, he thought, let them all know. Let them know that out of all of them, Victor wants me here, me and no one else.

They ended up talking for so long that, before both of them knew it, the clock was chiming for midnight. When they both heard it, they stared at each other in surprise- they had had no idea they had been talking for so long, the time seemed to have flown by like it had wings.

"I should probably go." Yuuri said, finally freeing his hand from Victor's and standing up. "Phichit will be worried about me, he'll be wondering where on earth I got to."

"Yes, of course." Victor sounded disappointed as he too stood up, avoiding the twitching tail of a sleeping Maccachin as he made his way across the room to see Yuuri out. "I must say though, I have had a very enjoyable evening. It's the best I've had for a very long time."

"Me too." Yuuri said softly, looking down at his hands as he spoke. His skin still tingled on his left hand where it had been touching Victor's and it felt like the Russian prince's hand had left an imprint there. For a moment, Yuuri wished it had; that way he would have a permanent reminder. "I had a very pleasant time."

"I'm glad." Victor said, smiling down at his head. He was now standing only a step away from Yuuri, so close he could see every individual eyelash that made up the fan of his eyelashes and he was fighting the temptation to reach out and touch him again, the way he had in the gardens only the day before. "Maybe we could do this again? Very soon?"

"I would like that." Yuuri answered truthfully, finally looking back up at Victor. "I would like that very much."

For a long moment, the two of them just looked into each other's eyes, neither wanting to be the first to pull away and put an end to this enjoyable night. The candles were burning even lower now and some had even gone out, casting the room into an even fainter gold light that made shadows linger on both of them. The darkness somehow seemed to add another dimension to Yuuri's beauty, Victor noted as he continued to stare, completely unable to drag his eyes away from him. The shadows appeared to bleed into his inky hair and poured their darkness into the wide pupils of his eyes but the candlelight made the gold in him come alive; the specks of amber in his eyes were even more prominent than before and the heightened contrast with the dark made his skin look even more perfect. Victor had never thought that a lack of light could make people look more beautiful, unless they were truly ugly and you needed less light just to look at them, but Yuuri just seemed to delight in proving him wrong. He gave a gulp as he lifted his hand and brushed it against Yuuri's soft cheek, feeling him shudder under his touch and then him shivering in return.

"Next time I see you," He said, his voice dropping into a whisper as he leaned in a little closer to Yuuri, wanting him to be the only one to hear his words. "I want it to be without the interruption of servants."

His fingers ran back along Yuuri's cheekbone, his touch feather-light as the tips barely skimmed his skin, and he was taken by surprise when Yuuri's hand suddenly reached up and pressed it to him, making his hand cup his face like he was holding something unbelievably precious. "That would be… nice." He whispered, his eyes looking up directly into Victor's and shining like stars. "Really nice."

After that, Victor found he couldn't fight his temptation any longer. He leaned closer to Yuuri and pressed a soft chaste kiss to his lips. His heart felt like jumping out of his chest as their lips moved against each other and as Yuuri started to respond and his hands made their way to his back, a low groan rumbled in his throat. His lips were just as perfect as he had imagined and his taste was so sweet, it put the pastila to shame. One of his hands travelled upwards to rest in his hair, the black strands winding around his fingers as they curled into them, as the other went to his waist and dug into the flesh there. God, what is happening to me? He thought as Yuuri's hands pressed into his back and he gave another deep groan. He had never fallen apart like this over a simple kiss, yet he was finding it hard to care how wrecked he already sounded. The room around him could have crumbled into dust and he doubted he would have even noticed- the only thing he could see and feel in that moment was Yuuri.

Yuuri was surprised by the pleased groaning sounds that he could feel on his lips and their vibrations were making his knees feel weak. When Victor had kissed him, he had nearly frozen up in shock- he had daydreamed many times about kissing Victor, wondering exactly what it would feel like but he had never thought in a million years that it would really happen. Victor's taste was intoxicating like the wine they had had with their meal and Yuuri's head was swimming with it almost to the extent that he felt drunk. He found himself suddenly craving more, he wanted more of Victor, and as he pulled the man closer so their bodies were pressed together, his tongue poked out and ran along the seam of Victor's lips, asking for entrance.

Victor felt dizzy as he willingly opened his mouth and turned his head to deepen the kiss; Yuuri was taking control, dominating the kiss as he held Victor close to him and he couldn't have loved it more. He clung tightly to the smaller man as Yuuri used his tongue to explore his mouth and as he did so, Victor gently pushed him, making him take a step backwards so his back was at the wall. Yuuri gave a soft moan as he was effectively caged in by Victor, the man surrounding him with his body and he moaned even louder when Victor's tongue joined his in his own mouth, fighting to take back control of the kiss. It was getting steadily messier as the two tried to wrestle control from the other, their teeth clacking together and their hands wandering and groping as the kiss went from gentle and chaste to frenzied and dirty. Yuuri felt like his head was spinning as Victor kissed him harder, his teeth close to bruising his lips but he was so caught up in the pleasure of it, he barely felt their soreness. He was so caught up in the crazed passion of it all that he didn't notice one of Victor's hands sliding between them until it firmly palmed at his crotch. He suddenly felt himself harden and the feeling was like a red-hot spike that shot through his body and made him jolt. The sensation was so new and so overwhelming that he sharply pulled away from the kiss.

"Victor wait! I don't…"

At once, Victor retracted his hand and his eyes went to Yuuri's face, his worry and concern so obvious Yuuri felt like crying. "Yuuri, are you OK? I didn't hurt you did I, I'm so sorry…"

"You didn't hurt me," Yuuri said quickly to reassure him and Victor's face almost crumpled in relief. "I just… I haven't done…" He whined as he covered his face with his hands; it was so embarrassing to have to admit to his idol that he was twenty-four and yet had no experience with this kind of thing whatsoever. He almost expected Victor to laugh but instead he felt gentle fingers wrap around his wrists and pull his hands away, before a flurry of light kisses was dotted onto each palm. He opened his eyes to see Victor press one last lingering kiss in the centre of his left palm before he wound his fingers with Yuuri's own and let both their hands drop.

"That's OK," He said softly, leaning his face closer to Yuuri's so that their noses brushed. "I won't push you into anything you're not ready for. And as for your inexperience… That just means I can teach you."

He giggled as Yuuri gave a small squeak and he gently kissed the end of his nose. "You should get back," He told him, regretfully pulling away from him. "You probably have work to attend to tomorrow and I don't want to evoke the wrath of your roommate for keeping you up late."

Yuuri laughed as he turned to open the door. "No, neither of us want that," He laughed before looking tenderly up at Victor and quickly pressing a kiss to his cheek; they both knew if their lips touched again, there was no way he would be leaving. "Goodnight Victor."

"Goodnight." Victor breathed out as he watched Yuuri open the door and slip out of sight. He already missed his warmth, almost wanting to run out into the corridor and pull him back, but he instead forced himself to look away. He stumbled over to his chair by the fireplace and flopped into it, his breathing heavy as he leaned back and stared up at the ceiling in a daze. The sound of his breathing woke up Maccachin, who had somehow slept through their entire kiss, and when she saw her master was alone in his chair, she instantly got up to clamber into his lap. Curiously, she licked at his smiling face and when he gave a loud excited squealing sound and buried his face into her fur, she gave a yelp and wagged her tail.

"Macca, he's so cute!" He grinned as he clung to the wriggling form of his dog. "I can't believe it, he was so adorable and then he was so sexy… he truly is a servant of Eros." He breathed out happily, laughing as Maccachin tried to circle in his lap to get comfortable. "What did you think of him girl? Did you like him? Did you?"

Maccachin gave a loud bark and tried to bury her face in his neck. Victor chuckled.

"Me too girl. Me too."

 _I can't believe it got that long... I was expecting it to be about 6000 words and it ended up closer to 9000. I'm damn impressed._

 _Interesting fact for you all (because I love them): aluminium cutlery was actually really expensive in the 18th century because the process of extracting the metal was so dangerous as aluminium is very reactive. This meant only the very rich could have sets of it, which shows how much Victor wanted to impress Yuuri ;)_

 _I also have a little news- I'm going away for the next couple of weeks and I'm not taking my laptop so another update is probably a good few weeks away. I have made a start on the next chapter but I can't make any promises about when it will come._

 _Was this chapter all you thought it would be? Please leave a review and tell me!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello again everyone! I'm sorry that it took me close to a whole month to update but an awful lot has happened since then... I went away and whilst it was really great, I didn't feel so good afterwards and spent a whole lot of time not feeling so hot... this had a big impact on my writing time and so I didn't want to write as much. Plus this chapter just got so long- I really didn't plan this much but I just rolled with it and ended up with another monster chapter. Hopefully this makes up for the large time gap?_

 _Thanks for your patience and I really hope you enjoy!_

The following morning, Yuuri wasn't surprised that he found himself at the centre of all the court's gossip as his name was on the lips of everyone at court. As he had suspected, the news of his private dinner with the Crown Prince had travelled quickly through the downstairs world of the servants and overnight, it had bled into the ears of their masters. He had guessed that the following day wouldn't be a normal one but it still started off strangely when he was woken up with a pillow to the face and a loud screech from his friend that was so loud and panicked, it made him shoot upright like the Palace was on fire.

"Phichit, what the hell-"

"And what time did you get in last night?" Phichit cut over him, brandishing the pillow again like it was a weapon. "I stayed up so late for you and you didn't get in and I wake up now to find you haven't even changed?! You need to give me answers Mr Katsuki!"

Yuuri looked down and groaned when he saw Phichit was right; his body was still wrapped up in his friend's bronze silky robe and the garment was creased all over from where he had been rolling about in the night. He hadn't been able to help it though; despite the fact he had been utterly exhausted when he got back from Victor's apartments, he hadn't been able to get to sleep for ages as he had just kept replaying their kiss in his head. It had close to tormented him as he tossed and turned, wanting to sleep but feeling too excited, and it must have shown on his face as Phichit took one look at him and went from looking concerned and cross to looking smug in a matter of milliseconds.

"Yuuri?" He asked in that teasing tone of voice that meant he knew way more than Yuuri wanted him to. "What exactly did you get up to at dinner last night? Did Victor end up on the menu?"

"Phichit no! Stop being embarrassing!" Yuuri shrieked as he threw his own pillow at him. Phichit however, easily dodged the flying pillow as he flopped down on the bed, looking up at Yuuri eagerly with his brown eyes as wide as he could get them. Yuuri sighed. "You're not going to leave me alone until I tell you, aren't you?"

"Of course, I'm not, this is too good." Phichit grinned in response, causing Yuuri to sigh again.

"Why am I friends with you again?"

"Because I'm the best and you love me," Phichit said, giving him an innocent smile like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. "Now, go on, spill! I need all the juicy details!"

"There isn't much," Yuuri said, already feeling himself beginning to blush as he recalled the events of the night before. "I went over to his apartments and I got knocked over by his dog- her name is Maccachin and she is so cute, she looks just like Vicchan but bigger- and Victor was so apologetic about it, it was really sweet of him. He'd decorated the whole room Phichit, there were candles everywhere and he'd set up a little table, it was really romantic and we talked a lot about our dogs and he held my hand and we ended up talking for so long, I just lost track of time. Victor was so lovely and attentive the whole night, I even told him I named my dog after him and he didn't think it was weird, he thought it was cute… and then when I went to leave, he… um… he kissed me."

"YES YUURI!" Phichit suddenly squealed as he flew at Yuuri and tackled him into the bed with a hug that could have felled a bear. "Oh, I'm so proud of you! My precious Yuuri, out seducing princes! You've grown up so fast!"

"Phichit, get off of me!"

"But I have so many more questions! Was he good? Did you guys use tongue? On a scale of one to ten, how naked were you when the kiss occurred?"

"PHICHIT!"

After fending off Phichit's embarrassing questions and finally leaving their rooms, the morning hadn't got any less peculiar. As Yuuri made his way to his first meeting with the Japanese ambassador, every person they came across followed his progress, their eyes wide and locked on to his frame as they started frantically whispering to the person next to them. That's him, they all seemed to be saying horrified, that's the man who was dining with the Crown Prince last night, in his own private rooms no less! And from what I've heard, they were behaving in a most intimate manner!

There wasn't much to base the whispers on but they followed him like his own shadow as he went about completing his work but unlike two days ago, it didn't bother him as much. He still felt little prickles of the anxiety he felt before when he was sitting in his meetings and it seemed like all the eyes of the dignitaries were watching him like a hawk, but they felt more like faint pokes in his side rather than the harsh slaps he was used to. He still felt the weight of the suspicious glances and the vile looks he was thrown by some higher members of the court but he found himself too happy to care; the memories of last night and the joy of knowing that Victor returned his feelings was enough to keep him smiling even through the mess of speculation that surrounded him. He just had to remember the way Victor had looked at him last night, his crystal eyes almost overflowing with adoration as he had held his hand or the way he had kissed him, all tongue and teeth and heat, and he would feel almost giddy with happiness. He was lucky that his involvement in his meeting that day was minimal as he spent most of it barely paying any attention; instead he was too busy touching his lips and reliving that kiss. He could still feel it on his mouth, like Victor's lips had branded his own, and he shivered at the thought. He almost wished there was a visible mark to indicate what they had done, then maybe the court would stop looking at him like he was something Victor would easily dispose of. He no longer had any worries on that front; last night had made it clear that the last thing Victor wanted was to let him go.

He had expected the looks and he had expected the gossip but the one thing that he didn't see coming was the sudden number of people who wanted to speak with him. During the meeting, a large number of people he had never spoken to before suddenly started coming up to him to discuss important issues, ones he realised they clearly wanted to put in front of the royal family to see their approval. He had politely listened to each person, hearing their thoughts before giving his own opinion but it felt like each time he wriggled out of a conversation with one person, another one quickly popped up to take their place. He was willing to listen but it was something he had never had to do before; he wasn't used to so many people asking him for his own take on things and it was incredibly draining. He hoped that it would calm down after a while but it only got worse as the day went on as the moment he finished his official duties and stepped out of the room without the ambassador there, he was suddenly surrounded by people all clambering for his attention. One moment, he had been alone in the corridor and the next, he had been swarmed like a whole hive of insects had descended on him. He froze on the spot, overwhelmed by the amount of people and the voices that were steadily getting louder and louder, building to a crescendo.

"Mr Katsuki!"

"Mr Katsuki, if I could have a moment of your time…"

"Mr Katsuki please, a word…"

Yuuri winced as the noise only got louder; the wall of people was crowding him, blocking off all his exits and preventing him from moving. "Please, I wish to return to my rooms…" He tried to say but among the mass of noise, his voice was barely heard. It suddenly felt like the air around him was too crushed for him to breathe and he could feel his panic beginning to bubble instead him as he tried to surge forwards, bowing his head so the crowd couldn't see how his eyes were beginning to tear up. He tried to move forwards but because of the crowd, he was unable to see where he was going and he tripped and fell. He hit the ground hard, losing his glasses in the tumble and as he scrambled to try and find them, the crash of people seemed to get even closer, the blurry world a mess of moving colours and screaming voices and he felt so overwhelmed, he just wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear. "Please, I just want to go…"

"That's enough!" A loud voice suddenly cut through the onslaught of voices like a knife and the whole corridor went silent. Hands shaking, Yuuri slowly lifted his head and gasped when he saw the crowd's attention was no longer on him but on someone who was steadily marching towards him with her eyes firmly fixed on his face. As she walked, the crowd parted like the Red Sea, not even daring to whisper among themselves as she walked up to Yuuri and held out her hand to help him up.

"Mr Katsuki, I presume?" She said, offering him a wide friendly smile and Yuuri instantly felt more at ease.

"Y-yes, that's me." He stammered out as he returned her smile with one of his own and took her hand. He then found himself being hauled up back onto his feet with one tug, her strength nearly making him fall over again and his glasses were suddenly thrust back into his hands. "Thank you."

"No problem." The woman replied cheerily to him before she turned back to the crowd and addressed them sternly, her hand going to her waist and drawing out a sword. "As for all of you, you should be ashamed of yourselves, hounding this poor man. I will be making sure the Prince hears about this and I doubt he will be pleased about it. I'm now taking Mr Katsuki to see the head of the Crown Prince's household and I don't want there to be any more of these incidents or I will report it to the Tsar himself. Now get moving!"

The crowd dispersed before Yuuri even had time to blink and before he knew it, the corridor was empty. He let out a long sigh as he put his glasses back on his head and the woman gave a proud smile and nodded her head in triumph. As she slid her sword back into its scabbard, he got his first proper look at his rescuer. She was a small woman, the top of her head barely skimming his chin, but that didn't make her any less intimidating as she stood boldly in the centre of the corridor with her hand on her sword like she would battle anybody who tried to pass. Her wild hair was cut into a short bob and was coloured a deep red, making it look like burning flames as it tumbled around her rounded face. Her eyes were a bright blue like the colour of a cloudless sky and she was dressed in the silver livery of the royal family's personal guard, with a short silver cape flaring out from her shoulders and thigh-high leather boots. She looked every inch the dashing young swordswoman and when she turned around, Yuuri could see the strength she had in her slim frame. He had strength as a dancer but he knew he would be no match for her in a fight.

"Finally, I thought they would never leave," she huffed as she blew a lock of bright red hair away from her face. "Those people are parasites, trying to jump on power when they see it. It's a good thing I came when I did, you looked swamped." Her eyes flashed over Yuuri's body, which was still shaking slightly, and her expression softened into concern. "Hey, are you alright? Those people didn't hurt you, did they?"

Yuuri shook his head, forcing himself to take a few deep breaths as he straightened his back. "I'm fine. Those people didn't touch me, they didn't even lay a finger on me, the whole thing was just a little… overbearing."

"That's good." The woman said with a cheeky smile. "Victor would have strung those people up by their balls if they had hurt you- he's very enamoured with you, you know."

She gave a wink and Yuuri felt himself go as red as her hair. "I do know. I have a great affection for him too."

"Oh, you're so cute!" She squealed, her hands shooting up to pinch both his cheeks like he was a small child. "Victor said you were adorable! He's already told us so much about you- has he mentioned me at all? I wouldn't be at all surprised if he didn't, Vitya always was a forgetful moron."

For a moment, Yuuri's mind drew a blank as he tried to remember all the people Victor had ever talked about- it was hard when a lot of his thoughts that came to mind when he mentioned Victor made him blush too much to think. He was just about to open his mouth and say that he hadn't when he suddenly remembered Victor talking about a red-haired woman who was friends with his brother and excellent with a sword, one he had seen dashing through the palace before.

"Are you… Mila?"

He watched as the woman's eyes went wide. "Son of a bitch, he did tell you!" She swore loudly, making several people who were passing through shoot her dirty looks. Yuuri was used to hearing women swear as his sister Mari had taught him most of the curses she knew and often sent rude customers at the hot springs packing with her tongue alone, but at both the Russian and Japanese courts, it was very unusual for women to swear. Women were seen as too dignified and delicate to swear and people were clearly disapproving of it but Mila didn't seem to give a damn as she ignored the judging looks and just focused on Yuuri. "I can't believe it! He never usually does that, I only asked for a bit of fun… he must think you're really special." She grinned before she leaned in closer to him, both hands on his shoulders as she looked him right in the eyes. "So, what did he say about me?"

"He said…" Yuuri gave a gulp before speaking, slightly scared at what this woman would do to him if she didn't like his answer. "He said you were best friends with his younger brother and that he started learning ballet because you took it. He also said you were a great swordswoman who could match any man in the army."

"Damn right I could." Mila stated proudly, her hand going to grab at the handle of her sword. "There's a reason why I'm in charge of the Royal Guards. No man has ever faced me and won."

"I don't doubt that." Yuuri said, glancing down at her sword and slowly backing away. Mila saw him trying to edge back down the corridor and she gave a short laugh.

"Don't worry, I won't turn this on you. My job is to protect the royal family and that includes those who members of the royal family have a massive crush on." Yuuri flushed even redder at her words, his hands flying to his cheeks to conceal some of their burning colour and she gave a loud, distinctly unladylike snort. "So cute. Now, come along, I haven't got all day and we can't keep Georgi waiting."

"Wait, what?" Yuuri stared at her as she twirled around, her cape swirling around her shoulders as she started to walk down the corridor the way she had originally came. "I'm going to see who?"

"Georgi Popovich, the head of the Crown Prince's household," Mila answered matter-of-factly as she paused and turned her head back to him. "Didn't you hear me earlier when I was telling that crowd to leave you alone? I came looking for you because Georgi wanted to have a little chat with you and it is terribly bad manners to leave a man waiting."

She started to walk away again and Yuuri had to run a little to catch up to her and grab her shoulder. "Wait a minute!" He asked bewildered. "Why does he want to talk to me?"

Mila just gave a shrug. "I don't know, he didn't tell me why, he just told me to come and fetch you. You'll find out once we get there."

With that, she gently but firmly brushed his hand off her shoulder and continued to briskly walk down the corridor, Yuuri following in nervous pursuit. His stomach felt like it was twisting inside him as he started to imagine what the head of Victor's household wanted with him and none of his predictions were good. Is he going to say I can't see Victor anymore? He panicked, only feeling worse with each step he took. He had heard of Georgi Popovich only by reputation; he was said to run the Crown Prince's household with a ruthless efficiency and he had no hesitation in throwing people out who did not meet his standards. He had also been a childhood friend of Victor's and he was one of the few people the man really trusted. Would he be able to meet this fearsome man's standards? Yuuri gave a gulp; he really didn't know.

They had been walking for a few long tense minutes when Mila suddenly came to a stop and turned abruptly on her heel, nearly making Yuuri crash into her. "Here we are!"

Yuuri, shocked out of his worried stupor, took a moment to look around and he gave a frown. He didn't recognise this part of the Imperial Palace at all. "Where are we?"

"We're in the centre of the Palace," Mila explained. "These are the private rooms of the whole royal family, their studies, their library, their dance studios, and so on. These are rooms strictly limited to the use of only the royal family and their most trusted servants and friends- I imagine you'll be seeing a lot more of them." She gave him a wink and Yuuri went red again. Mila seemed to take great joy in teasing him and she only laughed as she saw the colour bloom across his cheeks.

"You really are adorable. Now, come on, we can't dilly dally out here, Georgi is a very busy man. He'll be very excited to see you."

Before Yuuri could open his mouth to ask about the man he was about to meet, Mila knocked loudly on the door and called out "Georgi! I'm back!"

For a moment, there was just silence before a forlorn-sounding voice echoed a "Come in." from the other side of the door, followed by a muffled sound that almost sounded like a wailing whale. Mila gave a loud groan as she brought her hand up to slap her forehead.

"Oh god, not again…"

"Is everything alright?" Yuuri asked nervously. He wasn't sure what was going on but the sounds that were coming from inside the room were reminding him of a dying animal and they weren't helping his nerves. "What's happening in there?"

"From the sounds of it, Anya's broken up with him… again." Mila huffed as she flicked more of her temperamental hair out of her face. "I swear to God, this is the third time this month, I told Georgi he needs to stop taking her back but no, he doesn't listen to me, he just prattles on about true love…"

"Should I maybe come back another time?" Yuuri asked as an even louder wail blared from inside the room. "He doesn't sound like he's in a fit state to receive people…"

"He'll be fine, don't worry." Mila insisted as she put her hand on his back and firmly guided him to her side as her other hand reached for the door handle and wretched it open. "This is just what he needs to distract himself. Now, go on, he won't bite I promise!"

As the door swung open, Yuuri found himself once again at the mercy of Mila's strength as she pushed him into the room. He stumbled on the carpet, nearly crashing to the floor like he had done in the corridor but this time, he was able to correct himself and he stood shyly in the centre of the room as Mila firmly closed and locked the door behind him to make sure the three of them weren't disturbed.

He took a moment to look around the room, his eyes wide in astonishment as he had never seen a room quite like it in the Imperial Palace before. It was a tall, circular room that had been crafted into both a library and an office; the walls were covered floor to ceiling with shelves that were packed with books of all different sizes and colours, their spines gleaming like jewels on the walls and a large teardrop shaped chandelier spread a warm homely light throughout the room which only enhanced the bright colours. The floor was covered with a thick red carpet with what looked like an Oriental design on it and there were small tables dotted around the edge of the room that were topped with various artefacts, including a globe, a large Ming vase, several scattered photo frames and even a few old oil paintings, the largest of which depicted a pretty young woman with long brown hair and thick lips held in a pout. This one held pride of place on its own small table on the opposite side of the room to the door so it was the first thing your eyes landed on when you entered. To the left of the room, a large chestnut desk had been positioned, the sheer size of the thing making it look almost monstrous and the scattered surface covered with piles of paper, various set of pens and paper and even more pictures only served to make it look even more gigantic. Sat behind the desk was a big red velvet chair where Yuuri could see a man sitting. This must be Georgi Popovich, he thought, trembling a little as he gave a bow but when he straightened up, the man hadn't seemed to even notice him as Yuuri gave him a curious look. He wasn't quite sure what he had been expecting when he had walked in the door but this was certainly not it.

The man was clearly tall, Yuuri could tell he was a good few centimetres taller than him even though he was seated but his position behind his giant desk and the look of absolute woe on his face made him appear much smaller and more vulnerable. His face was strong with a firm jaw and small but bright blue eyes and his hair was a deep black that stuck out in a spike like the horn of a unicorn. He was dressed all in black like he was in mourning and he was crying like he had just heard the world was ending; great tears were pouring down his cheeks, making grey trails as they mixed with his eyeliner and he was clutching a handkerchief desperately as he stared off at the oil painting of the pretty young woman.

"Anya…" He cried out, his voice agonising as he blew his nose, the sound almost like the bellow of a sea beast. "Why do you forsake me so? Why can you not accept our love is true?"

"Oh, give it a rest Georgi!" Mila's voice suddenly cracked like a whip from behind Yuuri and both of the men visibly winced at the sound. "How long are you going to moon over her like this? It's so obvious she doesn't love you anymore, this is getting beyond a joke! Do you know how hard it is to convince people you're scary once they've seen you wailing down a corridor about your heart being broken? You were the laughing stock of the court for a week and it took ages for me and Victor to restore your reputation!"

"I don't care about my reputation anymore." Georgi replied sadly with another sniff. "I care for nothing but my beloved Anya. The world seems so dull without her Mila, I feel nothing at all unless she is here. She is my true love, don't you see?"

He outstretched his arm hopefully towards the portrait, like the real Anya would step out of it any minute to walk into his arms, and Mila gave a sigh. "We really need to get rid of that portrait." She muttered crossly, her mind already forming a plan before she turned back to Yuuri and suddenly grinned. "Anyway Georgi, I come with news that's sure to distract you from your heartbreak! I found Victor's crush from the ball! I brought him here to see you just like you asked!"

"You did?" Georgi stopped crying and swivelled round in his chair, his sad demeanour instantly disappearing as he caught sight of the Japanese envoy. His eyes honed in on Yuuri, his eyebrows raising at the sight of him, and Yuuri squirmed under the intense scrutiny. The air around Georgi had suddenly become laced with authority and the abrupt change in his manner was startling. Yuuri could see now why he had such a fearsome reputation; there was no messing with this side of the man.

"Him?" Georgi questioned as he shifted his gaze to Mila. "He's the man Victor hasn't stopped going on about?"

"Yep." Mila answered proudly with a pat to Yuuri's shoulder. "He's the one alright. Isn't he precious? Just look at his cheeks, I just want to pinch them…" She playfully went to pinch Yuuri's face from behind and he jumped back startled, his reaction only serving to make her laugh.

"Indeed." Georgi said crisply, his voice now holding a note of exasperation. "Mila, please leave the man alone for five minutes so I can talk to him." He reached across his desk for a navy blue quill and he carefully dipped it into an inkwell as Mila dutifully stepped back and stood by the door with her hand over her sword. Yuuri suddenly missed her presence next to him; he felt a lot more vulnerable as he stood alone in the centre of the room, especially now Georgi was scrutinising him like he was trying to find a fault with his appearance. He kept his back straight and took long slow breaths to calm himself, his fingers playing with the edges of his sleeves. When Georgi's eyes focused on his own and stared at him, he made himself look back and refused to glance away even though his insides were squirming; if he didn't feel confident, the least he could do was act it.

In the end, it was Georgi who looked away first, giving a nod as he went to write something down with his quill, its scratching the only noise that filled the room. "I'm impressed Mr Katsuki." He said. "I had heard that you were shy and wouldn't say boo to a goose; I was almost expecting you to run away when I sent Mila to get you."

"He almost did." Mila commented from the door. "He was being set upon by a bunch of clingy leeches trying to carry favour with the Crown Prince- if I hadn't stepped in and chased them away, I reckon he would have bolted."

Georgi clicked his tongue. "If he had, I wouldn't have blamed him. I've had to deal with too many of those people in my time to feel any sympathy for them." He went to write something else down but paused before he looked back up at Yuuri, his eyes now looking a little concerned. "Are you alright Mr Katsuki? You appear to be shaking."

Yuuri could feel his face colouring as he hooked his fingers into the material of his sleeves to stop his hands trembling. His fears were only mounting with each passing second and there was a traitorous part of him that was wondering if it wasn't too late to bolt from the room. "Forgive me Mr Popovich," he said, trying to sound calmer than he really felt. "But I'm still unsure as to why you summoned me here and I'm afraid I am thinking the worst. Would you be so kind as to put me out of my misery?"

Georgi blinked; it was clear he hadn't expected Yuuri to have such a solid grasp on the language of the Russian court and Yuuri could have sworn he gave a small smile as he scratched out something else on his paper and answered.

"Forgive me Mr Katsuki, I should have expected that this kind of summons to my office would be unnerving, particularly after your private meeting with the Crown Prince last night." His eyes flashed as he drew out the last word and Yuuri felt himself flushing again. Georgi's eyes seemed to suggest he knew exactly what had happened and, with the reputation he had, Yuuri wouldn't have put it past him. His thoughts were only confirmed when he heard Mila giggle behind him; she clearly read his teasing as well. "But please allow me to reassure you, my purpose in bringing you here was not to threaten you or tell you to stay away from Victor. In fact, I would almost say it was the opposite; I have never seen Victor happier or more enamoured with someone before and as one of his oldest friends, I only desire to see him happy. However, my official job is to manage his household and keep him safe and I do that by making sure he has the right people around him and the right protection. That is why I brought you here Mr Katsuki- because that protection now extends to you."

"Me?" Yuuri asked, suddenly flummoxed. Georgi's answer, whilst reassuring, was the last thing he expected to hear and the sheer surprise and relief he was feeling now he knew he wasn't going to be dragged away from Victor was so strong, he thought his legs might buckle. "But… why would you need to protect me? Mr Popovich I'm just an envoy from Japan, I'm nothing special…"

"Please, call me Georgi. We're going to be seeing a lot more of each other so we might as well drop the formalities." Georgi swiftly interrupted him, a smile now curling on his lips that looked almost eerie with the long grey streaks of dried eyeliner that still painted his face. "And that's no longer true Yuuri. Before the Winter Ball, you were just an envoy from Japan- now you are the man who has the heart of the second most powerful man in this court, who will one day be Tsar of all Russia and one of the most powerful men in the world. Victor has a lot of power and with that comes enemies- every Tsar has to face threats, even the ones who are most beloved. These threats can often extend to those who the Tsar or Crown Prince hold closest to their hearts and that right now is you. Therefore, it is now my job to ensure that you are kept in just as safe a state as the Crown Prince himself."

Yuuri gripped his sleeve even tighter, his knuckles now so tight with tension he feared he would tear the delicate fabric. "Has Victor ordered you to do this?" He asked shakily.

Georgi gave a chuckle. "No, he hasn't- at the moment I don't think Victor has thought of anything like that, let alone given orders." He and Mila shared a glance and Yuuri wondered exactly what Victor had been saying about last night. At this point, he wouldn't have put it past Victor to have spilled everything about it in his dreamy state and he wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing or not. "However, I am certain that once he does come to his senses, he will want this done and I have taken it upon myself to make sure it will be. It is what I do best after all."

"Apart from moping about your ex-girlfriend." Mila supplied helpfully from the door and Georgi turned away from Yuuri for a moment to glare at her. "And scaring small children with your make up."

"That was one time, Mila!" Georgi snapped, his own face suddenly bright red with embarrassment. He glared over at the door with a pout but Mila just gave a snort and even though Yuuri couldn't see her, he could tell just by Georgi's expression that she was sticking her tongue out at him. They had a staring match for a few long seconds before Georgi turned his attention back to Yuuri, clearly trying to smooth the whole thing over like a bird trying to sort their ruffled feathers. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say Yuuri, is that we want Vitya to be happy. We've known him for years and he's been distant for so long now, we almost wondered if we had lost him… and now it's like a fire is burning inside him once again." He gave a happy sigh and leant back in his chair. "And besides, what kind of romantic would I be if I didn't help young love to flourish?"

"Oh." Yuuri said, not sure what to say now Georgi almost appeared to be in a daydream. "You're an old friend of Victor's?"

"We both are," Mila interjected, strolling over to stand behind the desk and poke Georgi's shoulder. "Georgi here belongs to one of the longest standing families in Russia and he served as one of Vitya's playmates when they were boys. You were just as much of an emo then as you are now, I can still remember you eating all that beetroot and making yourself sick just because you wanted purple lips…"

"Mila!" Georgi cried outraged and Mila cackled as he shot back up. "How is it that you always complain about me destroying my reputation yet you're the one who spreads all these stories around?!"

"I don't go round telling everybody!" Mila laughed, patting Georgi on the back as she mercilessly teased him. "Only the people that matter. And anyway, don't you have some business to discuss with Yuuri here?"

"Ah yes, of course," Georgi said, suddenly distracted as he began rooting through the papers on his desk. Finally finding a fresh sheet, he set it out in front of him and dipped his quill back in the inkwell, delicate enough so that a single drop didn't get on his cuffs. "Please sit Yuuri, we're going to be here a while discussing your security."

"Security?!" Yuuri blurted out, sinking into the chair gratefully. He was certain if it hadn't been offered to him, his knees would have given out in shock just at that last word and the last thing he wanted to do now was faint in front of these people, especially now as he had just learnt he had their approval. "I need security?"

"Relax, it won't be anything too big." Georgi attempted to be reassuring as he started to scribble figures down on the blank page. "Just a few guards for big things when you're with the Crown Prince or going between meetings, that sort of thing… that's only the first thing on the list, Mila and I still have to warn you about what will happen if you dare break our Vitya's heart…"

"What will happen-" Yuuri started to ask but before he could even get halfway through his sentence, Mila had whipped out her sword and was pointing it straight at the centre of his throat. He could feel the steel of her eyes focused on that one single spot and he had no doubt in his mind that if she would plunge the blade deep into his neck if he gave her reason to.

Georgi just raised an eyebrow. "Are we clear?"

"Very." Yuuri replied, letting out a sigh of relief as Mila lowered her sword and swiftly put it away. "But you won't have to worry about that. I… I don't think I could hurt Victor if I tried." The last part of his sentence was spoken so softly, he thought for a moment the pair on the other side of the desk hadn't heard it, and it was so sappy, he automatically covered his cheeks to try and hide their burning.

"Aw, that's so cute!" Mila gushed as she close to leapt over the desk and tackled him in a bear hug. "I knew Victor had picked a good one! Didn't I tell you Georgi, didn't I say this was all worth it?"

"Yes you did. Many times." Georgi said crisply, not even looking up as he scribbled some more on the paper and Yuuri tried to untangle himself from Mila. "Of course, everything here has to be handled with discretion- we don't want to give the court any more reason to gossip or for anything to tarnish the Crown Prince's reputation. That's why I wanted to bring the issue of guards to your attention Yuuri and after that…"

"Wait a minute," Yuuri interrupted him worriedly. "Are you sure all this is necessary? And how long is it going to take, I have another meeting with the ambassador this afternoon…"

"I assure you Yuuri, this is all very necessary," Georgi insisted with a tone so final, Yuuri wouldn't have ever dared to interrupt it. "I wouldn't be doing it if it wasn't. And don't worry about your meeting; I've already sent a messenger to the ambassador. Believe me, once they know you're with me, they will voice no objections. I find they never do."

OOO

"And plié! Again! And step… there we go, straighten that leg! And arabesque! Good, now turn… Victor, watch how your brother starts into his grand jeté… Victor? Victor, are you even listening to me?!"

"Hmm?" Victor turned his head at the sharp sound of the voice that had shaken him from his daydream and his eyes widened when he saw two angry faces glaring at him. "Err, of course I was! Why wouldn't I have been?"

"Oh?" Madam Lilia Baranovskaya answered him with one thin eyebrow raised and her lips pressed so tightly together, her mouth looked like a needle. "Then can you tell me exactly where we were in Yuri's routine?"

Her jade eyes glinted with triumph as Victor opened his mouth only to close it again, gaping like a fish as he wilted under her stare. Lilia was a formidable woman, with black hair pulled back tight in a bun and her face lined with all her years of experience in teaching ballet and governing princes, and the last thing Victor wanted to do was make her properly angry. Next to her, his brother Yuri let out a loud angry huff and stomped his foot, at once going from an elegant dancer into an angry teen who looked like he was about to murder his brother.

"Victor, you're supposed to be watching me!" He snapped. "How are you going to give me feedback and make a new routine for me if you're not even going to look at me?!"

"I'm sorry Yurio," Victor said, genuinely sounding apologetic as Yuri scowled at the nickname. He hadn't believed Victor would actually use it but he had persisted with it and now he was worried the rest of the court would start to use it. "I promise I'll watch this time. You're really looking great, especially with your jumps."

"They are called jetés Victor," Lilia said strictly as Yuri got back into his starting position and she used her cane to gently nudge his foot into place. "As my former student, you should know that. And Yuri has always been good at them- his last one was particularly excellent, as you would know if you had bothered to look up and see it."

Victor flushed red in his embarrassment as Yuri shot him a smug grin. He made no secret of the fact that he loved to watch Victor squirm as either Yakov or Lilia told him off and it was something that happened more often than Victor wanted to admit, usually because Yuri told on him. Though Victor knew that Yakov and Lilia loved him like they were his real parents, it was obvious to everyone that saw them that Yuri was the definite favourite. Victor easily understood why- Yuri had only been a little boy when their mother had died and whilst Victor had many cherished memories of her, Yuri barely had any. He could still remember hearing Yuri calling for their mother all those years ago, still too young to understand what had happened, and the little blond boy would have touched anyone's heart, even ones as seemingly stone hard as Yakov and Lilia's. They had thrown everything they had into caring for Yuri and Victor often thought with a wry smile how like the two he was. He was nothing like the father they still both shared and Victor thought bleakly that that was probably a good thing. He couldn't resent the two for favoriting Yuri- when he had come to be in their full care, he had already been a young man. He had already been his mother's only child for many years and now it was Yuri's turn to have the main spotlight.

Lilia rapped her cane on the floor and the man at the piano in the corner started to play Yuri's music from the beginning. The gentle notes filled the large dance studio that was lodged deep in the private chambers of the royal family and the large mirrors dotted around the room reflected Yuri as he began to dance. Victor watched him with a fond smile. Yuri really was a beautiful dancer; his limbs moved like they were fluid and not bone and he could make them move like feathers or like steel, delicate and strong all at once. He was Lilia's finest accomplishment and everyone knew that if he hadn't been born a prince of the realm, he could have very easily made a career as a danseur on the stage.

However, despite his brother's beautiful dancing and Madam Lilia's threats, Victor couldn't keep focused on his routine. All of Yuri's graceful movements reminded him of another man moving just as gracefully, another dancer's body that was just as soft and strong that he had held in his arms only the night before and hadn't been able to forget since. Yuuri Katsuki had somehow stolen his way into his mind, past every wall he thought he had set up and now Victor never wanted him to leave. Just thinking of the way Yuuri had kissed him last night, hesitant at first but then returning his affections just as passionately, and remembering what just one touch had done to him was enough to make Victor want to groan out loud. Every part of him had wanted to drag Yuuri deeper into his rooms and make him forget every other name but his but Victor had resisted his urges firmly. The last thing he wanted was to rush into this, like he had done every other time. Yuuri was different from any of the men he had slept with back in those heady days in Paris with Chris- his attraction to them had been fleeting like a passing breeze, usually not lasting long after the first night together. However, with Yuuri Victor felt like he could spend a thousand nights with him and still want more, like the whole of time itself wouldn't be enough. Even now, he just wanted him to be there by his side, smiling his soft smile with his brown eyes following every step of Yuri's dance. What would he think of my brother's skill? Victor pondered with a dreamy grin. Would he applaud him after watching him entranced? Maybe he would even get up and demonstrate some of his own dancing skills- Victor knew he would like that very much indeed.

The piano music came to a stop as Yuri lifted his leg up into an arabesque, holding himself en pointe with a swanlike grace, his arms outstretched to the sky like he was praying. Lilia gave a satisfied nod, her taunt lips pulled into the faintest of smiles that only someone who had known her for many years could pick up on. Victor looked over at Yuri and could see that his cheeks were flushed with pride- though he would have died before admitting it, they both knew exactly what Lilia's praise meant to him.

"So, Victor, what did you think?" Lilia turned to ask him and Victor hummed.

"You're definitely getting better," He replied, standing up and walking over to Yuri. "Your jetés are flawless like Madam Lilia said and you've got the footwork down almost perfectly… You just need to angle your feet more in some of the steps. Like when you go into that last arabesque, try turning it outwards more, like this." To demonstrate, Victor at once when to lift himself up onto his toes, holding the position for a few seconds before dropping back down. "Now, you try."

"Are you that old now that you can't point your feet for a few damn seconds?" Yuri scoffed but he still tried the move again, copying exactly what Victor had done. He held the position for a good minute, smirking all the while, but Victor barely noticed as he gave a wide grin and Lilia behind him gave another approving nod.

"Very good Yuri and that was a good observation Victor. You really should listen to what your brother tells you Yuri- he was a very fine dancer too and could have been my very best if he hadn't started with all that ice skating. That was a fine waste of potential."

"As you remind me every day Madam." Victor said, shooting her a charming smile which she just shook her head at.

"Go and sit back down before I force some ballet shoes back on your feet. Yuri, back into position, we will start again from the top. No mistakes."

"Yes Madam Lilia." Yuri looked like he was about to groan but Lilia shot him a quick look and he at once sprang into place, his limbs betraying nothing of his tiredness. Lilia sharply flicked her hand towards the piano and the room instantly burst with music again, the man playing following her order without a second of hesitation. However, he was only a few notes into the song and Yuri barely a step into his routine before there was a loud knock on the door.

"Stop!" Lilia cried out and the whole room seemed to freeze. She glared at the door darkly, like she was trying to banish the person on the other side with just the heat of her stare and her mouth was pinched into an even thinner line. "Who on earth is that? I instructed all the servants that this was to be a private session with no interruptions!"

"Let me see who it is." Victor quickly got up from his chair and dashed to the door, hoping to save whoever it was from both Lilia and Yuri, who was staring at the door with just as much anger as his teacher. He pulled it open and was instantly confronted with a loud "Hey Victor!" as a blur of red suddenly ducked under his arm and peered around the door into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt your lesson Madam Baranovskaya!" Mila called into the room. "I just need to borrow Vitya for a bit! And hi Yuri, how's the dancing going?"

"Fuck off Mila! I'm trying to practice!" Yuri shouted at her, clearly annoyed at her bursting in but Mila didn't take it to heart as her only response was to give a beaming grin in his direction.

"You know you love me really!" She trilled as she grabbed Victor's sleeve and used her strength to drag him into the corridor, nearly making him stumble and fall into the door. "Ooops sorry about that Victor, I'm not trying to bash your brains out or anything."

"Believe me Mila, I think if you wanted to bash my brains out, they would already be gone." Victor joked, making Mila laugh as he steadied himself by firmly closing the door and leaving Yuri to his dancing. "Now, what's so important that you couldn't wait until after Yuri's ballet lesson? You know he's going to be cranky with the both of us."

"Believe me, I don't think you'll mind," Mila answered him with a smug smile that had Victor worried for a fraction of a second. "It's about your boy. I've just come from meeting him, he's in Georgi's office right now having a discussion with him about what measures we need to take."

"Yuuri? You've met Yuuri?" Victor stared at her open-mouthed for a few seconds before something else of even more importance hit him. "You mean he's here? In this part of the palace?" His face split into a wide excited grin and he would have sprinted down the corridor at that moment if Mila hadn't once again grabbed his arm and halted him.

"Easy there Romeo," She said with unconcealed glee. "He's in an important meeting with Georgi and he won't be best pleased if you barge in and interfere with his work. Have you forgotten his last epic sulk with you when you mixed up his papers? He flat out ignored you for a week and wouldn't stop making grand speeches about traitors whenever you were in earshot."

"That's very true." Victor said, shuddering a little at the memory. "But why does he need to meet with Yuuri? There's no problem is there?"

"None at all." Mila reassured him with a clap to the shoulder that nearly made him wince. "We were just curious to see this guy, you haven't stopped mooning over him since you met him. I know you told me he was cute but I wasn't prepared for how adorable and shy he is, you should have seen him when I told him where we were going, I thought he was going to try and make a break for it! And when he was being surrounded by all those creeps, I seriously wondered if he was going to faint…"

"Wait, what?" Victor tone suddenly went serious. "Creeps? What did they want with Yuuri?"

"Calm down Victor, nothing happened," Mila said quickly, seeing the cold fury that was slowly rising in the prince's eyes. "It was just the usual bunch of idiots thinking they could gain your approval by harassing your favourite. It's dumb really, if they had any brains, they would have realised that by now… And I stepped in before anything could happen anyway. Trust me Vitya, not a hair on his cute little head was harmed."

Victor let out a little relieved breath; the thought of Yuuri getting hurt because of his connection to him was something he didn't think he could bear. "I'm glad you were there to defuse the situation before anything went wrong then."

"Don't worry about it, it's my job." Mila grinned proudly. "Anyway, I came up just to say that Georgi is putting some measures in place for both your and Yuuri's safety. He wants there to be a couple of guards to escort Yuuri to his meetings and various other places around the court and he's insisting that some will have to be there when you meet up with him as your chaperones. You're not going to be able to wriggle out of that with Lord Giacometti anymore Vitya, he's determined to make sure that neither of your names are dragged through the mud. He doesn't particularly want to do this but he knows what's at stake here. We both know the court is going to gossip about you two but we don't want to give them any more ammunition if you get what I mean."

Victor nodded. He understood exactly what Mila was getting at. Even though men loving men was not considered a crime and was not an uncommon thing around the court, it was another story altogether in the royal family. Since two men would not produce heirs, it was expected, even demanded, that the royal heirs would marry someone of the opposite sex so they could have children and continue the royal line. A minor royal, one who was not particularly close to the throne, could have perhaps gotten away with it but Victor as the second in line had close to no chance. He had long resigned himself to the fact that he would one day have to marry a woman to continue his family's line but now with Yuuri here, it was the last thing he wanted to think of. He knew he had to protect his reputation, everyone around him always made that clear to him, but at the same time the news that he wouldn't be allowed to be properly alone with Yuuri was frustrating. He had been looking forwards to meeting him without any servants around to listen to them, having time where they could say what was in their hearts and not have to worry about causing a scandal but now that didn't seem to be a possibility. Unless…

An idea suddenly came into his head and he gave a wide smile. "Mila, would you happen to have some paper on you?"

"Erm, I think so… hold on." Mila sounded a little confused by his request but she started to rummage around in the pockets of her silver uniform and after a moment, she triumphantly pulled out a crumpled piece of creamy paper. "Aha!"

"Thank you!" Victor said as he grabbed it hastily and turned his back to her as he ran back into the studio where his quill and ink were. "Sorry!" He called over his shoulder to Lilia and Yuri, who were both staring thunderously in his direction, before he quickly scrawled down his message.

 _My dearest Yuuri_

 _If you truly wish to meet me without any servants or guards around to hear us, please meet me at the entrance to the gardens at first light tomorrow morning. I will get to you as soon as I can._

 _I count the hours until I can see you again,_

 _Victor_

After he finished writing the notes and embellishing his beloved's name in a few hearts, he folded it up into a small square and headed back out of the studio, where a bemused Mila was still standing. "Can you please slip this to Yuuri as he leaves Georgi's office?" He asked her, holding it out in front of him and giving her his biggest puppy eyes. "It's really, really important and you can't let anyone read what's inside. Please Mila? For me?"

Mila glanced between his face and the piece of paper before she hesitantly took it. "I take it I'm not allowed to peek at this?"

"No."

"And Georgi would get really mad if he knew what you were up to?"

"Yes."

"Consider it done." Mila said confidently before she tucked the paper away in her pocket and gave him a firm nod. She turned to leave but before she did, she paused. "I really hope you know what you're doing Victor. Yuuri's a good guy and I can't remember the last time you were this head over heels for someone…you better not blow it."

Victor just chuckled as he opened the door to the studio and prepared himself for the tirade of yelling he knew was waiting for him. Believe me, he thought quietly to himself as he walked into the room and had to quickly dodge a ballet pump that was angrily thrown at him. That's the last thing I ever want to do.

 _I don't really have an interesting fact to put here apart from the fact that I do not know much about ballet. Please do not take any advice from me about dancing._

 _I really love the idea of Georgi being scary- I just love his character and wish he was used as more than just a joke. I love the idea of him having a sibling-like relationship with Mila and the idea of those two being so supportive of Victor and driving each other crazy :)._

 _Hope you all liked it and reviews are very appreciated!_


	7. Chapter 7

_So ummm... this has taken a little while..._

 _I do apologise for the long hiatus that this story has undergone and I really wish it hadn't happened but unfortunately these last few months, my writing time and energy was severely limited. All of my stories were paused as I was not only struggling with my mental health but I also had an awful lot of uni work. The work has continued but now I am getting back into writing and I do really love this story so I want it to continue. I'm not going to promise any quick or regular updates because I don't want to make any promises I can't keep but be assured this story will be continuing and I'm determined it won't be another few months for the next update._

 _Please comment if you can, they really do help keep stories alive and they keep me pumped to write!_

As Yuuri crept down the long winding passageways of the palace, his body shrouded in a long dark cloak and hood that hugged the shadows and hid his face, he was surprised at how peaceful the place appeared. It was the crack of dawn, too early for even the servants to be up and so the long corridors and hallways that would have usually been bustling with activity were now as still as a graveyard. Normally, the place would have been crowded with lords striding between their rooms with their servants following hastily behind, ladies supping at tea and gossiping in corners or groups of dignitaries huddled as they tried to hash out a last-minute agreement. Now however, there was just a hush that Yuuri felt too terrified to disturb as he made his way hurriedly towards the palace gates.

He could hear his heart thudding like a war drum inside his chest, the beat getting louder and faster with each step he took towards his destination. With each room he passed, he grew more and more convinced that at any second, a guard would hear it and step out of the shadows like a vampire to demand what he was doing up so early. Even though he was certain the whole court suspected that he and Victor were seeing each other, he wasn't sure if the guards would buy his explanation and after his conversation with Georgi the day before, he understood how important it was for them to be discreet. If he was caught, the entire court would know about it by daybreak and that knowledge would be like igniting a flame. Everyone would know that the two of them had tried to meet secretly without a chaperone and there would definitely be a big scandal. Yuuri didn't want to think of what that would mean for the two of them; Victor would most certainly be shamed in the eyes of the court and internationally as well for not being pure and he would most likely be sent back to Japan in disgrace. Now that he had Victor here and he knew that not only did he return his affections but his friends also approved of him, Yuuri couldn't think of anything worse than being exiled from Russia; here was where his heart now was and he didn't want to leave if he could help it. He wanted to spent every second he could in Victor's presence which meant that, in that moment, he had to be as quiet as possible.

It's funny, he thought as he tiptoed through another grand drawing room that was filled with an almost eerie silence. I thought the palace would be crawling with guards at this time but I've barely come across any and even when I met some, they have all been very easy to avoid… Victor, he thought suddenly and he almost wanted to facepalm. He must have had a word with Mila and moved the guards around so I could sneak out without being spotted. The idiot, he thought with a small fond smile. That would be so like him.

The dawn was only just beginning to sneak in when he finally reached their meeting point at the entrance to the palace gardens. Gasping with relief, he leant against the wall and his face broke into a wide smile. I made it! And I didn't get caught! He thought triumphantly as he looked up at the edge of the horizon where the lilac haze of the morning was rising like the smoke from a bonfire, curling into the sky like it was trying to wipe away the deep black of the night. He continued to watch as the light gradually wound its way towards the palace and he almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of his situation. Just how exactly had he ended up here, waiting at the palace gardens for the Crown Prince to arrive? Just what had his life come to?

Yuuri wasn't sure he would ever be able to ask that question. Everything had recently gone so topsy-turvy, he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to get his head straight enough to answer a question ever again. If somebody had told him just a few days before that he would be out here, waiting at the crack of dawn in the palace gardens for the man he had idolised for so many years he would have thought they had gone mad and probably would have asked them to visit a doctor. And yet here he was, clutching Victor's note in his hand like it could disappear at any moment and prove it was all a dream. Everything had got so crazy in the last few days, he still doubted sometimes that it was real. Before, he had been just another envoy at the vast court, practically invisible in a sea of faces and fine silks and now he was as far from invisible as it was possible to be. Before, his life had consisted of him doing his job, keeping his head down and keeping Phichit from going overboard with his camera. That had been until that morning when he had woken up with a ruffled suit, a raging hangover and a prince knocking on his door.

He had tried several times since that morning to remember that night, the night when everything had changed. Each time, he tried to recall exactly what he had done to capture the Crown prince's attention but each time he came to the same stumbling block. He remembered arriving with Phichit and getting a drink at the door, he remembered chatting with a few of the other Asian envoys and suddenly feeling very warm but that was it. After that there was nothing, a great black void in his memory where every image had tumbled, never to return. Sometimes, if he concentrated really hard, he thought he could recall brief flickers of things; a pair of arms around him, holding him close in their strong and steady grip, making him feel safe, and the warmth of a laugh on his cheek, a playful voice whispering in his ear, words that he couldn't quite remember but still made him smile. They felt real enough when he imagined them but he wasn't sure if they were real memories or just wistful fancies his mind had conjured out of want. He didn't mention them; he could only imagine that would just get Victor's hopes up and he didn't want to see them rise only for them to inevitably crash and burn when he realised that was all. The last thing he could do was feed Victor that false hope.

Thinking of Victor, he raised his hand and unravelled the note Victor had sent him, smiling at the sight of the neat but hurried writing. He couldn't help but want to squeal a little whenever he read it. He knew if his teenage self had been told he would one day receive a private note from Victor in his own hand, he probably would have screamed and the urge still hadn't entirely left him. The note was just so completely Victor, it was adorable, from the over the top declaration at the end to the dozens of hearts that adorned his name. He traced a few of them lovingly with his fingertip, still fighting the desire to clasp it to his chest and squeal like a teenage girl with her first crush. It was like a fairy tale, he thought, a real-life fairy tale. How many other people can say they fell for a prince and the prince fell right back?

He didn't have time to dwell further on this question however, as a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind, clinging to him tightly as he was pulled against a broad chest. "Miss me much Yuuri?"

"Ahh!" Yuuri close to screamed as he frantically flailed about in panic, only falling still when he heard a familiar sing-song voice laughing in his ear. "Victor! That was mean!" Victor only laughed again so he pouted and pushed him away, crossing his arms and turning his back to him.

"Yuuuuuuriiiiii!" Victor whined, reaching out to try and cuddle him again but Yuuri kept slapping his hands away. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist, you just looked so cute I couldn't help myself…" He sounded so pitiful that Yuuri had to turn around and when he saw the crestfallen expression on Victor's face, he almost burst out laughing and had to cover his mouth with his hands to stop himself. The likeness to his own begging Vicchan was so uncanny, he could almost see the eyes of his beloved old dog in Victor's crystal blue ones and the sight was just too funny for him to resist.

"Yuuri, you can't laugh at me!" Victor pouted back at him when a few giggles did escape from behind Yuuri's fingers. "Can't you see I'm dying of deprivation over here?"

"You only saw me two days ago Victor. It's barely been 72 hours." Yuuri laughed but he still stepped forwards and, with an eagerness that surprised even himself, he threw himself back into Victor's arms and embraced him warmly. "But I missed you too."

For a second, Victor was too stunned to do anything but blink down at the mop of black hair under his chin but he quickly recovered and the next thing Yuuri knew, he was being hugged so tightly that if anyone had come along and tried to tear them apart, he would have feared for their life.

"Yuuri," Victor trilled happily, making the smaller man giggle as he nuzzled the top of his head like a cat. "I'm so happy to see you again! Was everything alright yesterday? I heard from Mila that you went to see Georgi and that you were set upon by a crowd… You weren't hurt, were you?" He looked down at him, his blue eyes shining with concern and Yuuri gave him a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine Victor, I just got a little freaked out by it," he said. "And Georgi was fine too, he just stressed how important it was for us to be discreet and told me not to bring shame on your name."

"I don't need you to do that- I fear I've already brought shame to the House of Nikiforov a thousand times over," Victor commented dryly and Yuuri giggled again. "He just doesn't know about it."

"Just like he doesn't know about this?" Yuuri retorted raising an eyebrow. Victor just grinned.

"Exactly. I don't mean to undermine poor Georgi, he does so much for me after all, but I'm sure he would understand- he is the biggest romantic I know. He's only doing it for my reputation but I can't constantly meet you with the stifle of servants around. Where I'm taking you, I've never taken a soul before and I couldn't just take anyone." He gave a wink and Yuuri felt himself blush. He was suddenly very thankful for the fact that there wasn't much light; the dawn was taking its time to arrive at the palace and the dim light hid the fact that his face was glowing the colour of a strawberry at every tiny bit of affection.

"Where are we going?" He asked, his eyes suddenly going wide. "We're not going somewhere outside of the palace, are we?"

Victor gave a short laugh, his eyes sparkling like ice as he took Yuuri's hand in his own. "No, we're going somewhere much better. Follow me, I promise you'll love it."

He turned away from away from Yuuri, but not before dotting a light kiss on his forehead and making him flush again. He gently tugged on his hand as he began to gently lead him through the gardens, down past the entrance to the maze. They walked past several flowerbeds and statues but in Yuuri's mind they all blurred into one as he kept his eyes focused on Victor's back. He too was dressed in a long dark cloak that billowed out behind him as he hurriedly moved, occasionally looking back over his shoulder to check Yuuri was still there before looking forwards again. His excitement was so clear, Yuuri felt like he could sense it in the air, a bright energy that seemed to encase his entire person and it was so infectious, he couldn't help but feel his own spirits be lifted too. All his nervousness, all the fears his mind had entertained about being caught suddenly felt so far away and with every step he took behind Victor, they melted a little more. Is this what it would be like all the time, he found himself thinking. A life with Victor, would it always be this crazy? He smiled a little at the thought. If it was, he could definitely get used to it.

Yuuri was in such deep thought that he didn't notice when the gardens around him started to look unfamiliar, nor when they started to get less neat and precise and grow more wild. The flowers were spilling out from the beds like fleeing prisoners and the white marble statues were covered up to their hips in ivy. He was only shaken out of it when his foot caught on a stray branch and he nearly toppled into Victor's back, his tight grip on the taller man's hand the only thing that stopped him faceplanting the uneven path.

"Yuuri! Are you OK?" Victor whipped around to catch him, grabbing at both of his arms and locking him in place.

"I'm fine…" Yuuri shook his head a little before he managed to give Victor a smile. "I just tripped on something, that's all. God, I'm clumsy sometimes…" His voice trailed off a little when he looked at his surroundings and he gave a little gulp. He had never ventured into this part of the palace grounds and from the look of the wild plants, he didn't think anyone else had for a very long time. "Victor, where exactly are we?"

"We're still in the palace grounds, don't worry," Victor said, seeing the slight panic on Yuuri's face. "We're just in a very far corner of it. Not many courtiers come down here. It's a little too far for a relaxing stroll and it isn't very good for delicate shoes as you've just found out." He gave a teasing grin as he looked down at Yuuri's feet. They were just poking out of the bottom of Yuuri's robe and they were clad in dainty silk slippers with a pattern of tiny flowers.

"They're good for walking quietly." Yuuri flushed as he quickly stood up straight and arranged his robes to cover them. "I didn't want to get caught by the guards."

Victor grinned again but made no comment as he took Yuuri's hand again and pulled him further down the winding path. "Anyway, even if this place was as well-kept as the rest of the gardens are, I still doubt it would get many visitors. This used to be my mother's favourite place."

"Your mother's?" Yuuri repeated dumbly, suddenly seeing the overgrown place in a new and much sadder light. He could almost sense the memories buried there, under each and every relic left to the past and he could understand why it had been left. There was too much melancholy here.

Victor gave a nod. "Yes, she used to grow all her blue roses here. My mother loved gardens, she just adored nature and when she first arrived here, she loved the fact that she could walk around in the most beautiful garden in Russia any time she wanted. My father gave her this spot when they were newly married and she loved the fact she got to try her own hands at gardening." He gave a short chuckle that was tinged with a little sadness, like the atmosphere of the deserted garden had found its way into his speech. "I don't think she was much good at cutting the grass or anything but she loved her flowers. I remember her taking me down here and letting me play but she never let me anywhere near her precious flowerbeds. She was scared I would trample all over them and, knowing what I was like as a kid, I probably would have done." He gave another wistful smile as he looked around the wild place. "When she died, most of her blue roses were dug up and moved inside the palace- my father wanted every part of her as close to him as possible so they're now mostly in the private greenhouses. However, there were a few bushes that got overlooked and they still grow down here. I like to pick them and have them in my rooms. They somehow seem… closer to my mother than the ones my father has control of." His voice sounded bitter at the mention of his father and Yuuri squeezed his hand in sympathy.

"The one you had on the table was lovely." He said, recalling the vase with the single blue rose that had sat on their table when he had dined in his rooms and he felt Victor's hand squeeze his in return. "Is that why we are down here? To see the roses?"

Victor chuckled. "Partly. But there's something even bigger that I want you to see."

Yuuri opened his mouth to ask again but Victor quickly turned around and placed a finger over his lips, making the words freeze on his tongue. "I want it to be a surprise," Victor told him softly, his face close and his eyes sparkling once again with his previous excitement. "So, no more questions. Just look and feel."

Feel? Yuuri's eyebrow quirked with confusion but he followed Victor's order and didn't ask what he meant as Victor once again took the lead and started walking again. As they carried on, the garden appeared to be shrinking in on itself, the trees around them getting closer and closer together and the beds merging to create long stretches of tangled flowers and plants. It felt like the eyes of Mother Nature herself were upon them and the sensation was unnerving. The long branches of the trees were steadily forming a lattice above their heads, blocking out the coming dawn as it tried to shine down on the dark path and there seemed no break in the darkness up ahead. Yuuri could feel his grip on Victor's hand getting tighter and tighter as his fear started to grow again and he was about to suggest they turn back when Victor suddenly stopped and let go of his hand. Yuuri almost cried out as suddenly Victor's long fingers rose up in front of his face to cover his vision and it was only his gentle voice in his ear that stopped him from screaming.

"It's OK Yuuri, it's only me," he said calmly, encouraging him to move forwards tentatively. "Just relax, I've got you. I want you to be really surprised when you see this, I want you to get the full effect."

"You really love your surprises, don't you?" Yuuri said almost wearily and he heard Victor giggle behind him.

"You got me there, my love. We're almost there now. Just try and feel where we are."

"O-OK." Yuuri answered hesitantly. At first, it was difficult to focus on anything except his utter confusion but then, as Victor carried on talking to him, guiding him gently forwards, he slowly let his other senses take control. The first thing he noticed was how deathly quiet it was- there wasn't even the call of a bird to break the silence and there was nothing rustling in the great undergrowth. Then, as he continued to walk forwards, he realised it was getting colder. That can't be right, he thought. How is it so cold? There are flowers blooming over there, just a few feet away…

"That's great Yuuri, you're doing so well darling. OK, we're here. Keep your eyes closed and… open them."

Yuuri opened his eyes and gave a loud gasp. He blinked rapidly at the sight in front of him, his mind hardly daring to believe exactly what his eyes were telling him. There, stretching out in front of him like a sheet of pristine glass flanked by several long drooping willow trees, was a great frozen lake. It was the size of the floor in the grand ballroom and shaped like a large ink blot, with wavy edges that were ridged with snow that looked like icing sugar. The surface of the ice was so flawless, Yuuri believed that if he took the few steps and gazed down at it, he would see his own bewildered face staring back at him. He couldn't quite believe what he was seeing; he had seen frozen water in Japan but they had all been small ponds or pools- there had never been anything on this scale. It had never been this beautiful either. Everything about the place made it seem magical, like Victor had led him through a door into another world where it was forever winter. Struck speechless, he turned to look at Victor, who was beaming at him like he was taking great delight in his amazed reaction.

"Victor, this… this is… how?"

"It is rather glorious, isn't it?" The Russian prince said proudly, his hands that had previously been blocking Yuuri's vision now tightly clasping his shoulders. "I knew you'd like it!"

"How… how is this even possible?" Yuuri spluttered out, still a little in shock. "Nothing else in any of the gardens are frozen, how is this…?"

"It's all very technical really," Victor explained, gently steering Yuuri further towards the lake and towards the nearest willow tree. It was the largest of all the ones around the lake and it stood with its branches dipping so low, the tips of the leaves were almost skimming the ice. "Yakov had it made for me when I really started getting into ice skating. He got all these engineers in from all over Europe and they designed it. It's a real lake, it's always been here but they put all these machines under it and it keeps the surface frozen. The whole place is insulated as well so it stays cold all year round- if you look up, you can see the glass roof that stops it from escaping." He pointed up at the sky and Yuuri followed his finger to see he was telling the truth; only a few metres above their heads was a flat glass roof that almost seemed to be mirroring the ice below it. "It can't be put up too high or everyone from the place would see it and come to investigate and I really don't want to have to share this. It's the one thing in this whole place I have entirely to myself… or sort of, Yurio knows it exists but he refuses to come down here and he's sniffy about it anyway. And now you know!"

"You… you really wanted to share this place with me?" Yuuri asked in a whisper like if he spoke too loudly, the whole thing would prove to be an illusion and shatter into bits. He looked around him once again, his eyes blinking at the private wonderland Victor had revealed to him. It now almost felt too private, too personal, like Victor was letting him see a large part of his naked soul, and Yuuri couldn't quite believe that. Victor wanted him to see this? Him, just regular Yuuri? He looked back at Victor who, almost like he could sense the doubts swirling within him, just smiled and placed his warm hands on Yuuri's cheeks.

"Yes, with you. I can't think of anyone I would want to see it more. Now, how would you like to warm up your skating skills?"

"Really?" Yuuri almost cried out, glancing back at the unblemished sheen of the ice with something akin to terror in his eyes at marring it.

Victor laughed. "Of course! Do you think I just come down and stare at it? You don't have to worry about falling through the ice, it's perfectly safe; I've been skating on this lake for years and I've never fallen through. And besides, I did say I would take you ice skating one day, didn't I?"

"You did…" Yuuri said, his voice trailing away and his face flushing as he remembered that day in the garden. "But I didn't think you meant so soon."

"Aw Yuuri, you're so cute!" Victor close to squealed, stopping suddenly in his tracks to kiss the tip of Yuuri's reddening nose before he continued to softly pull him under the willow tree. "I've already informed the Japanese ambassador that you won't be attending any meetings until the afternoon because you were helping with a very important royal engagement and he was very understanding. I also asked Phichit what the measurements of your feet were and had some skates made so everything should be perfect!"

"Wait, you did wha… Victor!" Yuuri squeaked, his hands clapping over his mouth as he looked down at the foot of the tree and saw two pairs of skates lying there, nestled in the roots. They were both the same shade of pale icy blue and they were decorated with the same embroidery; the only differences between the pair were that one pair was slightly bigger than the other and the larger pair had golden blades instead of silver. Yuuri took a step closer to them and squeaked again when he realised just how luxurious the skates were. The material was a soft blue leather and the insides were lined with fluffy white wool that was so soft to the touch, it could have been a cloud. The outside was embroidered with spiralling snowflakes in silver thread that were so detailed and sparkling, Yuuri almost expected them to start falling. They were the most beautiful skates he had ever seen and the fact that they were his was almost terrifying.

"You didn't have to get me skates, I already have a pair! And these…" He bent over and gently picked up one of the smaller skates, his arms cradling it gently like it was a small child. This is probably worth more than my whole yearly income, he thought and it made him grip the skate even tighter just so he didn't drop and damage it. "They look so expensive…"

"And they were worth every penny, my love." Victor said, his smile widening when he saw how Yuuri stuttered a little at the endearment. "And anyway, your old skates looked worn to the bone and they were too small for you. It was high time someone got you new ones and I wanted to get you something pretty… and now we match!"

"They weren't that small, I could still get my feet in them… just." Yuuri tried to protest but both of them knew it was fruitless; Victor had already won. Yuuri could see his triumph reflected in the wide grin Victor send over his shoulder and it made Yuuri want to throw his new ornate skate at him. He didn't however; he was still terrified at what the exact worth of these things were and he didn't want to be responsible for senselessly destroying what could be an old Russian antique. Instead, he sat himself down carefully on the roots of the willow tree and carefully pulled on each skate, making sure to double knot the silken laces. He then wobblily stood up, clutching at the trunk of the tree for support and he had to grudgingly admit one thing to himself; these skates were a thousand times more comfortable than his others had ever been, even in their peak when they had fit him. They felt like they had been moulded to fit his feet and they were so soft, he felt almost like he was skating in his slippers.

"Right!" Victor exclaimed cheerfully when he pulled his own skates on, clapping his hands as he stood up with all the grace of a swan and started walking towards the lake. "Let's go Yuuri! I can't wait to see what you can do!"

"Wait Victor!" Yuuri cried out as he stumbled over the tree roots, only righting himself just in time to stop himself from crashing to the ground and getting a faceful of powdery snow. He looked up to see Victor was already standing on the ice, elegantly poised like one of the statues in the garden outside. He had shed his long cloak and left it under the tree, leaving him in slim-fitting light blue skating gear that Yuuri was trying not to let his eyes linger on. His figure was poised and elegant on the ice like he was born to be there as his eyes followed Yuuri's clumsy descent. His mouth was in a sympathetic smile but Yuuri could see the spark of mirth in his eyes and he gave a frown.

"Stop laughing at me!"

"I'm not laughing!"

"You are!" Yuuri insisted as he finally reached the edge of the smooth perfect ice and went to shed his own robe. He too had worn his old close-fitting skating gear but he felt almost foolish putting them next to Victor's. His clothes were black and it was easy to tell they had been well-worn; there were large patches of different material on both elbows and knees where they had been patched up after a fall and there were several other marks on the material that, despite many washes, had refused to come out. Most embarrassingly of all for Yuuri, the material over his stomach had been stretched from the times in the past he had been tubbier than he was now and as he tentatively skated out onto the ice, he feared it would ride up his torso and expose his stretch marks to Victor. They had always been a great source of embarrassment to him and they were a physical reminder of his shame in getting so big. His family and Phichit had always told him that he had nothing to be ashamed of and it was OK to be a little bigger but the feelings still stuck to Yuuri's skin like slime and made him feel bad about his body. He was better about it now and he no longer felt so at war with himself but he still couldn't help sometimes wanting to cover up and hide and in that moment, all he wanted to do was run and hide behind the willow tree.

He must think I look awful, he thought, panicking as he looked down and saw the contrast between his clothes and his brand new beautiful skates. I'm sure he regrets bringing me here now… However, when he looked up at Victor, to his surprise, there was no trace of disgust on the Crown prince's face. Instead, he appeared to be greatly appreciating the sight of him, his eyes shamelessly following the lines of his body as he got closer and his lips smirking at the tiny sliver of skin that his top was revealing as he moved. That gave Yuuri a little more confidence to stand up a little straighter and shoot him a smile.

"So, Your Highness," he said mischievously. "Now that you have me here, what exactly do you intend to do with me?"

For a moment, Victor looked like he was going to combust, his cheeks flaring bright red as he tried to process this sudden switch in character. It never failed to surprise him when Yuuri went from being shy and sweet to unbelievably sexy like this and he had to control himself from saying something lewd. Instead, he gave him a cunning smile and pressed a single finger to his lips like he was pondering.

"I think I should put you through your paces. I want to see exactly what you can and can't do and see what you need to improve on. Sounds good?"

"It sounds like you are acting as my coach." Yuuri laughed but he still puled himself into an upright position, ready to start. "What do you want to see first?"

Victor's eyes gleamed like he had just been given the key to a chest of treasures. "I want to see everything Yuuri," he said, his voice dripping with suggestion as he pressed a finger to his chin. "And I don't want you to hold back."

Yuuri's only response was a wide grin and a small giggle before he launched himself across the ice with the speed of a winter gale. Victor watched with wide eyes as Yuuri tore around the ice like he was about to take off and fly, his body moving like this was what it had been created to do. Even though he was close to sprinting along the ice, his figure was as graceful as a falling snowflake and Victor had to remind himself to breathe as Yuuri went into a flawless step sequence of short kicks and flicks. This was the opposite of what he had imagined when Yuuri had told him in the gardens that he was rusty; instead of him looking like a baby deer struggling to walk, he looked like a swan gliding across the water. Victor had imaging himself having to help Yuuri and hold him close but with every new perfect step Yuuri took, it became more obvious he didn't need any help whatsoever.

Yuuri glanced up to see Victor staring at him slack-jawed and he gave another devilish smile before he launched himself into a layback spin. Holding both arms above his head with his hands clasped together, he threw his leg back and twirled like a spinning top. Victor gave a smile; the move was not only executed perfectly but he could see the effect of Yuuri's long years of ballet training in every line of his body. Whoever this Minako is, he thought as Yuuri lowered his arms and leg and continued to skate in large rings around him, she has done an excellent job.

Yuuri then curled himself into a sit spin with his body crouched down over one skate and the other stuck out dead straight in front of him. The spin perfectly showed off the curve of his upper legs and bottom and Victor couldn't help but give a low whistle of appreciation. The sound made Yuuri blush and he wobbled a little as he stepped out of it but he still carried on, showing Victor a few different camel spins and basic jumps before he came to a halt in front of him. His cheeks were bright pink and his sweaty hair was sticking in small clumpy curls to his forehead but he had an eager smile on his face as he stood there panting, waiting for Victor's verdict.

"Well?" He asked.

"That was… not half bad." Victor replied, grinning widely and Yuuri felt his stomach turn a happy somersault at his tone. "I knew already that you were a talented dancer and that comes through very clearly on the ice. Your footwork was very impressive and your spins were also very skilfully done. All I think you need is a little bit of polish and then I think you can move on to some more advanced steps…" Already deep in thought, Victor carefully traced out the movement of Yuuri's first spin before giving a nod. "Alright, try the layback again, this time think a little more about the placement of your free leg, we don't want it getting sloppy…"

For the next couple of hours, the two of them didn't take even a moment's rest as they skated alongside each other. Yuuri didn't think he had ever skated so hard in his life; back in Japan he had only skated for fun but with Victor there teaching him and studying his every move, it felt almost like he was back at his ballet lessons. Victor however, was a very different teacher from Minako; every time Victor wanted to teach him a new jump or spin, he would demonstrate it several times from every angle he could think of, just to show Yuuri exactly what he should be doing. Yuuri suspected he was doing it in part to show off but he didn't really mind. Victor was still a very good teacher as he was firm but very patient with Yuuri and for a while, the two of them forgot that they were prince and diplomat from another country. For those few hours under a clear glassy sky, they were just two skaters enjoying themselves on the ice.

It was only when both of their legs felt too exhausted to skate another step did they both wrap themselves up in their robes and huddle together under the willow tree, their breath making silver clouds in the cold. "I think in another life, we would both have a calling as ice skaters." Victor said smiling. "We would be the best in the world I think."

Yuuri snorted. "You would be, maybe. I don't think I'd make the finals."

"Of course, you would!" Victor insisted, putting his arm around the smaller man and pulling him closer. "You're a beautiful skater Yuuri! I love watching you on the ice, you look like you're dancing without music."

"Nobody can dance without music Victor."

"Not unless you make your own." Victor said, looking down at him. "You can do that Yuuri."

Yuuri felt his face heat up and he stared down at the ground to avoid Victor's gaze. "Victor, stop teasing me."

"I'm not." Victor said in the sincerest voice Yuuri have ever heard him use. "You're remarkable."

"I'm alright I guess." Yuuri replied with a shrug. "I'm nothing compared to you though. When you're on the ice, it's… I don't have the words, you're amazing! I could watch you forever and never get bored of you!"

His voice was so earnest that Victor felt like he had to put his arm around Yuuri's shoulders and squeeze him lightly. "That's very flattering of you Yuuri," he said. "But I can easily say the same for you too. I love watching you skate."

"But I'm nowhere near your level," Yuuri put forwards. "You've been skating for years and you've been able to practise here without any breaks. You know so many more advanced moves than me, I've only just started on jumps today and…"

"Yuuri, this conversation isn't an argument over who is the best." Victor said softly, gently prising his hand out from under his robe and gripping it tight. "Maybe you haven't had the experience I have but that doesn't mean you can't be good too. Me being a great skater doesn't mean you can't be as well. You have so much natural talent Yuuri, so much rhythm and beauty in the way you move… and it's not just in your skating too, it's in the way you walk and dance and everything. The whole court has seen it with their own eyes but you're the only one who doesn't seem to recognise how amazing you are."

Yuuri didn't answer as his head dipped forwards, almost disappearing into the folds of his robe under his chin. He nuzzled into the material, like he was trying to escape under it, and Victor watched feeling powerless. He had never met anybody with Yuuri's level of anxiety before; for most people to make it in the Russian court, they needed confidence in their abilities and the brashness to push other people out of the way. Victor was used to dealing with those kinds of people, he was used to having to be the biggest personality in the room, the bright star who everyone was too blinded by to even think of attempting to take him down. Yuuri was nothing like those people. He had his confident moments, where Victor was certain he could have ruled the court if he put his mind to it but the rest of the time, he was nothing like that persona. He was shy, sweet, overly considerate of others and Victor couldn't imagine him shoving past anyone to get to power. Despite that, he had somehow made it in a back-stabbing gossipy court where everyone only looked out for themselves at the top, yet he had no appreciation for himself for doing that. What was behind that mask that makes him feel that way? Victor thought sadly. He hated the thought that anyone could think Yuuri was worthless, even if Yuuri thought it himself, and he was suddenly determined to get to the bottom of why he felt that way.

"Yuuri," he said softly, like he was speaking to a small animal that would bolt if he spoke too loudly. "Please talk to me. I'm only trying to get you to see that you're worth so much more than you think you are."

"I'm not though." Yuuri quietly answered, his voice so tiny that Victor had to strain to hear it. The prince frowned.

"You say that but I don't believe it. The evidence is in front of my eyes, I can see how great you are Yuuri. I wouldn't have brought just anyone here to see this place. This is my retreat, I told you, it's the one place I can be alone. I would never have let you see it if you weren't special." Yuuri stayed silent but his head rose up a little, enough for Victor to see his eyes again. "I just don't understand how you don't see yourself the way others do."

Yuuri leant back a little against the willow tree, his arms gathering his robe around himself even as he continued to hold on to Victor's hand. It took a long moment of waiting before he finally spoke; it was only the gentle encouragement from Victor's gaze that made him open his mouth and start to talk, the honest words tasting strange in his mouth as they had never been spoken out loud before. "I guess I've never felt… special enough for anyone. It's not like nobody likes me, I have so many people in my life who I know will always support me like my parents back home, my sister, my friends, Phichit and some of the other envoys… I know I matter to them, I know that I can do things and that I'm good at my job but my brain doesn't seem to see that. I always have this voice in the back of my head telling me that I'm not good enough, that I'm too stupid, that I don't have the talent, that whatever I do I can't compare to everyone else. I always get nervous about everything and when I hear those thoughts and feel that fear, it makes me feel worthless and like I can't do anything. It doesn't help that a few years ago, I let this all get the better of me and I gained some weight; I felt like I couldn't do anything and I ate to feel better but that made everything worse. I got bullied a lot for it, a lot of people called me a pig and it really made me hate myself for a long time. I got out of it with my family's help and they made me see that I could feel better about myself but it still feels like sometimes my body and my brain hate me. I don't want to feel so useless but I can't help it sometimes and it makes me wonder why anyone would bother with me. Especially someone like…"

"Don't." Yuuri froze as a long finger firmly pressed against his lips and stilled his words. "I don't want you to make out you're not worthy of me."

"But-"

"Yuuri." Victor said softly but firmly, his hands uncurling from Yuuri's own so he could cup both his cheeks and force him to look into his eyes. "Please, listen to me. No matter what anyone tells you, no matter who they are and what they profess to know, you need to know this. You are not the unworthy one here, I am. I don't know what I did to deserve you tumbling into my life but somehow you did and I've never been more thankful. I don't need you to be anything else but yourself because that's the person I admire and I hate hearing you talk like that about yourself. You don't need to prove your worth at all because I can already see it in spades."

"You… admire me?" Yuuri replied, his whisper sounding like he couldn't quite take in the words Victor was saying. His eyes blinked at him before a smile finally broke over his face and his brown irises shimmered with grateful tears. His smile was like the sun emerging out from behind a cloud and Victor had never been happier to see it.

"There's that beautiful smile I like to see." He said grinning, watching with glee as Yuuri's face lit up like it was on fire and pushed him away.

"Victor! You're still teasing me!" Yuuri cried out, pretending to shove Victor away but clearly not trying very hard.

Victor chuckled as he grabbed both of Yuuri's hands in his own and snuggled back into the space next to him. "You love it really."

"I really don't." Yuuri sighed but he was still smiling and it didn't stop him from wriggling next to Victor and resting his head on his shoulder. The two of them were quiet for a few minutes, just content to be in each other's company for a while before Victor again spoke.

"Yuuri, do you know what event is coming up in about a week's time?"

There was a pause as Yuuri frowned in thought before he shook his head. "I can't think of anything right now. Is it something really important?"

Victor gave a small shrug. "It is to my father. Next week is the night of the Imperial Dance. It's the first of a traditional trio of dances that is held after the Winter Ball. They are very significant to the Russian Crown, it's less a party like the Winter Ball but more of a diplomatic event. There, we are supposed to talk and dance with dignitaries from other courts and from our own, strengthening our alliances, building bridges and all that kind of thing. It's also where myself and Yurio are supposed to… meet with potential brides."

"Ah." Yuuri made a deflated sound and Victor felt him lean slightly away. "I see."

"Yes." Victor replied. "These things have always been incredibly dull, my father has a lot of high expectations for me and it doesn't help that not everyone in the court is invited. Unlike the Winter Ball, you have to be specially invited to the Imperial Dance by a member of the royal family which is why I'm not that surprised you haven't heard of it." He gave a smile and turned his body to face Yuuri properly. "That's why I want to invite you."

"What?" Yuuri turned to him with a look of utter disbelief. "You… want to invite me to a formal dance? After what happened last time?" His face burned as his mind went back to the few memories he had left of the Winter Ball and he wanted to curl up and hide in Victor's arms. Victor meanwhile just chuckled.

"Why wouldn't I? You were the only thing that made that Ball exciting and whether you're drunk or not, I know you'll light up that party like no one else. And also, I want you to be there. No matter what Georgi says, I don't want to hide you away like you're some shameful secret because you're not. Our feelings are nothing to be embarrassed about and I want the court to know that." He saw Yuuri's expression and quickly went to backtrack. "Of course, if you don't want to, I'd completely understand, I know I'm asking a lot of you…"

"I'll come." Yuuri cut over him, speaking quickly like if he didn't get the words out now, he never would. "I mean, I want to come. I don't want to hide either and… I'd like to be there. For you."

After his words, he gave a gulp and once again buried his head in Victor's shoulder. He moved his head so quickly that he didn't see the wide grin that broke over Victor's face as he again put his arm around Yuuri and pulled him closer, resting his own cheek on top of Yuuri's hair.

"I'm glad." He said, smiling as the pair of them looked out over the frozen lake that was lit up by the morning winter sunshine. "I can't wait."

 _My interesting historical fact of today is something I found out when looking up old palace gardens; apparently the first greenhouses were built in ancient Rome but a modern one didn't appear until 1737 in America. Isn't that cool!_

 _Please comment, it does make my day!_


	8. Chapter 8

_So this has once again taken a while..._

 _I am sorry this update has also taken forever but now that uni is over for the summer I'm hoping I can once again give it some attention. I do really love writing this story and I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter :) Reviews are everything! Thank you!_

"Please, can I have a look now?"

"No!" Phichit's frustrated voice came from the other side of the door like a slap in the face and Victor winced as he took a step away. He had been leaning against the solid wood of the door to Yuuri and Phichit's shared rooms and he could still feel its coolness against his hands and cheek where he had been trying to listen in on what was happening, with no success at all. "I'm not finished weaving my magic yet! You have to be patient!"

"But please, let me look!" Victor continued to plead, pressing his hands together even though he knew Phichit couldn't see him. "I'm dying out here!"

"Then perish!" Phichit's short sharp shout barked out, making Victor take another step back in alarm. A giggle came from the other side of the door and he pouted his lips and crossed his arms. Yuuri was in there, getting ready for the Imperial Dance with the assistance of Phichit, and he had been banned from seeing him until he was ready. For him, this was completely unfair; Yuuri was on the other side of that door, most likely looking gorgeous and perfect, and he wasn't allowed to see him. It was practically a crime.

He went to reach for the door handle but before his fingers could even brush it, the door opened a tiny crack and a low hiss emerged from the gap that sounded like a spitting cat was lurking within. "Don't even try it Victor!"

The Russian Crown Prince sprang away from the door like he had been scalded and a low chuckle came from behind him. "He still won't let you in? I don't know why you keep trying, there's no way he's going to let you see him."

"Shut up Chris." Victor pouted again as he spun around sharply, his robes swirling around him like rippling waves. He looked up at the clock on the nearby wall and frowned. "They've been in there for ages now! What's taking Phichit so long? Yuuri's already perfect, what does he really need to do?"

"Whilst the sentiment is very sweet of you mon ami, I think you're forgetting exactly where you are taking him." Chris said casually as he examined his own attire. His robes were a light airy pink colour, reminiscent of blooming sweet peas and the hems were trimmed in a sky-blue ribbon to contrast. The material seemed to float around him as he walked and Chris wasn't even trying to hide his own admiration of his outfit as he lifted it up to let it flutter around him like a butterfly's wing as much as possible. Victor had to smile at his friend's choice; Chris could never fade into the shadows, even if he tried and this glamourous outfit was certainly going to catch a few eyes. "You are taking a man many people would consider a lowly envoy to one of the most glamorous and important diplomatic events of the whole year. Everyone's eyes are going to be on him; everyone knows about your feelings for each other and they are going to be wondering what you see in him. He has to make a good impression Victor."

"I know that." Victor sighed, annoyed that everything Chris had said was true. This dance was a very important event and neither of them could afford to put even a toe wrong. The whole court was going to be a cast of hawks tonight and both of them knew they would already be sharpening their talons, waiting for something they could pounce on like a rabbit in a field. Even he felt a little sick at the thought and he had been attended these events since he was a teenager. He knew just how ruthless the gossips at the court could be and, with the surprise he had planned out, he knew they were going to be having a field day. "But still, I can't see why this is taking forever. All I want to do is see my Yuuri!"

"Victor, you have been waiting here for barely ten minutes." Chris deadpanned, raising a perfectly-sculpted eyebrow at him. "And you saw him just a few hours ago."

"That was only for a gap between meetings."

"That gap was over an hour long. Also, need I remind you how long you took to get ready for tonight? You spend forty minutes just picking a robe."

"Well, I needed to get the perfect one!" Victor protested. "I needed one that would go with Yuuri's!" He held out his sleeves so Chris could see his final choice in all its glory. The robe was similar to the one he had worn the day he had walked Yuuri through the gardens; it was the same shade of royal blue that he was so associated with but the soft silk was covered in large blue roses that were so big and so pressed together, it was almost impossible to spot the slightly lighter material in between them. The outline of each petal sparkled with silver thread and the stems that wove between them had been decorated with golden thorns to match the thick gold trim of the whole garment. It was one of Victor's favourites because of the rose print; he had had it made not long after his mother's death because the flowers reminded him so much of her. It made him feel closer to her somehow when he was wearing it, like he was bearing her emblem. However, he had taken a long time debating whether to wear it or not. He knew his father wanted him to wear the traditional family robe he had worn over his suit at the Winter Ball and in his mind, he could already picture how his father's nostrils would flare in disappointment when he caught sight of him. A frown flickered across his face at the thought but he gritted his teeth as he quickly forced it away. In the end, he didn't care what his father thought of it. The man had stopped caring about him long ago, why should he give a damn what he thought? It wasn't like he could do anything about it now anyway.

"I know Victor and I agree with your choice; that robe couldn't be any more becoming." Chris said quickly, seeing the glimmer of anger in Victor's eyes and steering him away from it. "I'm certain Yuuri will love it." There was a little smirk on his face when he spoke about his friend's beau and the mischievous look in his eyes made Victor smile again when he thought of what was happening on the other side of the door. Chris had come up with the plan when Victor had lamented to him that Yuuri had no suitable robes for the Imperial Ball and the royal tailor was already flooded with new robe orders from the rest of the aristocracy. They both knew it was going to cause a storm in the Russian court but instead of fearing the wrath of both his father and Yakov, Victor could only feel excitement. After tonight, there would be no denying what he and Yuuri felt for each other and no question over where his heart belonged. Let everybody talk! Victor thought proudly, feeling his heart swell at the thought of it. They won't be able to do a thing after tonight.

"I'm certain he will too. I can't wait for him to see it." Victor's grinned as he looked back down at his robe and carefully smoothed the fabric down. Part of the reason he had chosen this robe was because it reminded him not only of his mother but now of the day he had taken Yuuri down to visit his private lake. After they had skated and after he had invited Yuuri to this dance, they had spent a long while cuddled up underneath that willow tree, which Victor had now decided was one of his favourite places in the whole world. It had been so peaceful there, with Yuuri curled up against his side and no one there to bother them, he had nearly dozed off several times, carried away by dreams that they could both remain there forever. It had only been when it reached midday and they both realised Yuuri still had work to do when they had grudgingly separated but not before Victor had shown him the few blue rose bushes that still remained growing in the garden. As it was winter, there had only been a few tiny blooms but Yuuri had still been overjoyed to see them.

"They're so beautiful," he had said as he cupped one in his hands, his voice filled with awe. "I can see why you love them so much. They might not be as big as the ones in the palace but they've had to work harder to get this far. In a way, it makes them even more stunning."

Even thinking about that moment was enough to make Victor grin ear to ear and he had been so happy, he had picked a few of the flowers and insisted Yuuri take them back to his room. At first, Yuuri had protested against it, saying they were his and he couldn't possibly take something so precious, but after a lot of gentle persuading (and lots of kisses) Yuuri had finally agreed to taking them. After that, they had walked back through the gardens, Victor personally escorting Yuuri to his first meeting of the day with their hands firmly entwined. By that point, it had been early afternoon and the gardens had been full of courtiers, many of whom had spotted the pair as they walked back. They had made their way back to the palace among a fog of whispers and raised eyebrows but instead of shrinking away from him, Yuuri had only held onto his hand tighter and kept his head high. His cheeks had been pink almost the entire way back and he had nearly squealed in embarrassment when Victor had led him right up to the door of the meeting room and practically pushed him through but Victor had never been more proud of him. He knew it had taken a lot for Yuuri to display that level of affection in public and he was overjoyed by the fact that he had been willing to do it for him.

Since that day, Victor had met up with Yuuri at every possible opportunity. Whenever Yakov gave Victor a break from studying documents and Yuuri had no meetings or other business to attend too, the two of them would arrange to meet in Georgi's spacious office. It was the perfect place to meet as not only was it tucked away in the royal rooms of the palace, there was also nearly always a chaperone there in the form of either Georgi or Mila, who were happy to sit in a corner and work as the two talked. Chris too occasionally dropped in to see the 'lovebirds' as he teased them, which never failed to make Yuuri blush and Victor laugh, but he was never normally there for long as he always had something he needed to flit off too. Georgi was naturally disapproving of this ("Can't the man see that this is for your reputation? Though honestly, I don't think he's ever thought about anyone's reputation in his life, let alone his own…") but he had quickly warmed to both Victor and Yuuri spending a large amount of time in his office. Like Victor had said, he was a true romantic at heart and it greatly pleased him to see his old childhood friend laughing and smiling, his eyes alight with something that hadn't been there for a long time. Sometimes, if his workload wasn't too heavy, he would join in their conversations, which Yuuri greatly enjoyed as Georgi nearly always let slip some embarrassing story about their childhood that had them all in stitches.

"Victor, why didn't you tell him you once clogged up the fountains with dead fish from the kitchen because someone told you it would bring them back to life?" He had cried out on their most recent visit earlier that day, after telling Yuuri the full story on how Victor had snuck fish from his plate and put it in the foundations, resulting weeks later in a terrible fish smell and extensive repairs to unblock it. Tears had been streaming down his face and by the end, he had been laughing so hard, he had seemed on the verge of choking. "That was brilliant when they found all that stinking fish in the pipes and you were just standing there crying because they weren't swimming again!"

"I was only six Georgi!" Victor had protested, watching as the head of his household and his love had been practically grabbing onto each other in their laughter in an attempt not to tumble off their seats. "And I'm pretty sure you were the one who put the idea in my head after you read that mermaid book!"

Still, Victor hadn't resented any of the ribbing that had come with their conversations with Georgi. Despite his many desperate pleas, Anya was still keeping him firmly at arm's length and the son of an important general was already rumoured to be courting her, with a heavy emphasis on wanting to finally win her hand. These rumours had shattered the pieces of Georgi's already broken heart and Victor, who had witnessed all of his problems and break ups with Anya, was honestly just glad to see him laughing again, even if it was at his expense.

Mila too was happy to chat with them after she had finished her paperwork. She never usually got a lot as most of her time was spent training her guards and patrolling with them but when she did have to sit down and deal with reports, she would speed through her papers with such a grim determination to get it finished that she would growl if anyone tried to approach her. When she was like that, she scared even Victor and frankly terrified Yuuri. Yuuri had been a little wary of her at first. When he had first met her, she had seemed very intimidating and intense; he could still remember how quickly she had managed to disperse the crowd that had overwhelmed him and it had made him nervous of her. However, he had soon realised she was someone he didn't have to be afraid of. Mila was a mostly chirpy person who only wanted to have fun. She was always quick with her tongue and no matter how hard they tried, none of the guys were ever able to get her back when she teased them mercilessly. She had taken to Yuuri the first time she had met him and the more time they spent hanging out in Georgi's office, the bigger her soft spot for him had grown.

"You know Victor, Yuuri's so adorable I'm surprised no one has tried to steal him away from you already." She had once said, going to pinch Yuuri's cheeks once again like she was his maiden aunt. "Maybe I should start teaching him some basic fighting moves, just in case…"

"I don't think anyone's going to try and kidnap me Mila…" Yuuri had said hesitantly, leaning back to try and avoid both her grabbing hands and Victor's hard stare at the thought of anyone even trying to take him away. "But thanks for the offer, that's really nice of you…"

Victor smiled at the memories. He enjoyed it when Georgi and Mila got involved in their discussions; he loved the fact that two of his closest friends, people he considered family, were so accepting of Yuuri and genuinely seemed to like him but his favourite times were when it was just the two of them. They could talk for hours about absolutely anything and Victor never felt like he had to pretend to be something else. When he was with Yuuri, he didn't have to think about minding his body language or keeping his face in a plaster-stiff smile. He didn't have to carefully ponder each word he said, for fear something could be twisted and reported back to his father. In the comfort of Georgi's office, when it was just him and Yuuri curled up in his worn chairs, he could be as excited and exuberant as he wanted to, with no one to tell him that he needed to have more decorum. He could say the first thing that came to his mind, no matter how ridiculous it was, and Yuuri wouldn't care. He was much quieter than Victor but with every hour they spent together, he got a little bolder and it pleased Victor to see him emerging from his shell. Every day, it felt like he learnt something new about him and Victor wanted to know everything there was to know.

He was still daydreaming when the door in front of him opened a tiny crack and Victor jumped forwards to try and peer into the room. "Phichit!" He cried out excitedly as a wide brown eye peeped out at him. "Is Yuuri ready now? Can I see him please, I can't wait!"

"Actually… Yuuri's not quite done yet." Phichit confessed slowly, his eye constantly darting behind him worriedly like he was scared of something flying out behind him. "This is taking a while and I don't know if you've noticed the time Victor but the dance is almost about to begin."

"My Lord, he's right!" Chris said, his voice panicked as he stared down the corridor. Very faint distant music was beginning to rise through the building, indicating that the ball was about to get underway, and Chris looked stricken at the sound. "Everyone's going to be expecting you Victor, we have to move now!"

"But what about Yuuri?" Victor asked, ignoring Chris when he tried to shove him away from the door and giving Phichit a pleading look. "I can't go down without him!"

"Don't worry Victor, he'll be along soon." Phichit told him almost frantically. "I just have to make a few finishing touches and then we'll be done here. We'll only be ten minutes late, I promise but you need to go!"

The desperate tones of both Phichit and his best friend were enough to make Victor realise the severity of the situation and he finally turned away from the door. "You will hurry, won't you?" He asked worriedly, hesitating briefly as he turned his head back. Chris gave a groan and tugged on his sleeve urgently but Victor was unmoving, still as a statue as he looked back at Phichit with eyes filled with concern. "Yuuri is alright, isn't he?"

Phichit opened the door just enough to shoot him a wide smile. "He's fine, don't worry!" He said, his smile alarmingly white as he motioned for him to shoo. "Now get moving or you really will be late!"

"Yes, come on Victor!" Chris begged once again and this time, Victor finally heeded his words as he turned back around and dashed down the corridor like the wind was at his heels. Chris gave a relieved sigh before he quickly followed him, his robe billowing around him like a pink sail. With the corridor now empty, Phichit could hear the distant music as it grew louder and he sucked in a worried breath.

"OK Yuuri, they've gone now, you can relax." He said, firmly closing the door to shut out the music as he turned to face the curled-up figure on his bed. "Sit up and take a deep breath, you'll feel better if you do."

"I can't do this Phichit." Yuuri said, his voice out of breath like he had just been running around the palace gardens. His body was tucked into a ball on Phichit's bed, the sheets rippled around him from where he had collapsed onto his side. His face was pale and clammy underneath the thin layer of make-up Phichit had managed to put on him before he started panicking and his hands were bunched so tightly into his fists, his arms were trembling. His eyes were wide and fearful as he refused to look up at the wardrobe where his robe for that night had been draped, like he would be cursed on the spot if he looked at it. He looked like he was being prepared for execution rather than a ball and Phichit gently cooed at him as he knelt down by the side of the bed.

"Of course you can Yuuri." He said soothingly, reaching out a hand to rub small circles into Yuuri's shoulder. "You are going to have a wonderful time at the ball, you know you will. Take some deep breaths for me, nice and steady…"

"I can't do it Phichit." Yuuri repeated. He was trying to take long breaths to match Phichit's own reassuring movements but each time he felt close to calming down a little, his panic would take hold of him again, flooding his senses to the point that his whole body was shaking and he couldn't take anything in. "I can't go out there in front of all those people, I just can't. What if I do something stupid again? What if I get stupidly drunk again and make a huge mess? What if I disappoint Victor so much he decides he never wants to see me again? I couldn't face that Phichit…" His hand snapped out to grasp at Phichit's arm and when Phichit looked back up at his face, he saw that there were tears in his eyes. "I just can't…"

"That won't happen Yuuri." Phichit said firmly, holding onto Yuuri's hand and using the leverage it gave him to pull him up into a sitting position. "Let's take a minute to breathe, come on…" He let Yuuri lean into his shoulder as he continued to tremble like he was in an earthquake and gave a worried sigh. He had suspected something like this might happen but he hadn't thought it would be this bad. Yuuri's anxiety had started to build earlier that afternoon when a surprise delivery of one of Victor's robes had arrived at their door, presented by a servant in royal livery. He had been the one to hang it on their wardrobe door, handling it like it was made of gold and when he had left, he had thrown a dirty look at the pair of them, like their mere presence would sully the garment. Yuuri thankfully hadn't noticed his face; he had been so shocked at the gift, he had only been able to stare at it, his mouth unable to form words as he gawped at its extravagance. It had taken Phichit ten minutes to get a single sentence out of him but once he had, Yuuri hadn't stopped.

"Do you realise what this is?!" He had cried out, his fingers digging like claws into Phichit's shoulders. "This was the robe he wore to his coming of age ceremony when he was 16! It caused such a stir across Europe, it was in all the news sheets! And he wore it to Japan on his state visit there… I remember seeing it and thinking it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen! And now I'm going to wear it…"

His face had been both delighted and terrified and as he continued to stare at it, his hand hovering over it like he wasn't sure whether he could touch it, Phichit had seen the first traces of anxiety begin to creep into his eyes. When Phichit had started to help him get ready, he had gone strangely quiet and when Victor had appeared outside the door, he had looked like he was on the verge of being sick. Now, just as the ball was starting, he was in the middle of a full-blown meltdown and all Phichit could think to do was hold him. Yuuri's anxiety was a beast that he had had to contend with many times and he hated the fact that it could hurt his best friend so much. It pained him to see how little Yuuri thought of himself when everyone who knew him could see how talented and wonderful he was. If he had the power, he would make all that doubt in his head disappear but he knew he couldn't wipe away years of self-hatred and low self-esteem by himself. All he could do was give Yuuri as much reassurance as he could and prove those voices in his head that told him such hateful things that they were wrong.

"Do you feel any better?" He said softly and he felt Yuuri shake his head against his shoulder. He appeared to be trying to bury his face in Phichit's robe and when his eyes peered up at him, his slicked back hair was now sticking up in mad spikes.

"I don't think I can do out there Phichit, not in that robe. Everyone will know that he gave that to me and they will be staring at me and talking…" He gave another small sob and clung even harder to Phichit. "Everyone will know about us now and I don't know how I'm going to handle it… I know people have already been talking but they aren't going to stop now and I don't think I could cope it if they were insulting me and V-Victor…" Tears welled in his eyes at the mention of Victor's name and Phichit hurriedly pulled him closer and hugged him. "I don't w-want to b-be the cause of V-Victor being u-u-unhap-py…"

"That wouldn't happen!" Phichit said, outraged at the very thought. "Victor adores you, you couldn't make him unhappy if you tried! Victor gave you that robe because he wants the whole court to know about you two, he wouldn't do this if he wanted to keep you a secret. He's not even been trying to keep you under wraps and you know it. Why else would he go walking in the gardens with you and escort you everywhere he can?"

"But… but what about what everyone else is going to say? People are going to be furious…"

"And so what?" Phichit drew back and looked Yuuri directly in the eyes, putting his hands on his red cheeks so he couldn't look away. "Who cares? People are going to be nasty and spiteful no matter what, you can't change that. And there are always going to be people jealous of Victor, that happens when people are in power or are beautiful. But you can't let your life be dictated by them. You have to do what makes you happy and not give a damn about everyone else."

"But Victor's father…"

"Will have to accept his decision whether he likes it or not." Phichit smiled at Yuuri as he ran his hands back through his hair to smooth it down. "Victor has already shown he's not going to give you up just for the sake of other people. Do you want to give him up?"

Yuuri rubbed at his eyes with the hem of his sleeve and when his eyes once again met Phichit's, they were filled with a steely determination. His mouth formed a stubborn pout and he drew himself back up like he was readying himself for battle. "No, I'm not."

"Excellent." Phichit grinned at him, feeling the lightness and enthusiasum from before flooding back into the room. "Now, let's get ready for the ball!"

OOO

He's still not here yet, Victor thought anxiously, his fingers toying with an empty champagne glass as he surveyed the large room with the hunger of a staving man. The ball was well under way and the ballroom was bursting with music and chatter. Everybody who was anybody in the Russian court was there enjoying themselves, decked in such colourful finery, it would have put the brightest peacock to shame. Everywhere he looked, Victor could see the sparkles and shimmers of hundreds possibly thousands of jewels that seemed to drip from the guests like rain but the brightest jewel of them all, in his opinion, was nowhere to be seen. He could feel himself gripping his crystal glass almost to its breaking point and he released it with a sigh. Phichit's promised ten minutes had passed a short while ago and he was beginning to get very worried. Where was Yuuri? Was he having second thoughts about coming?

He sighed again as a waiter waltzed past and hurriedly filled his glass with champagne. He murmured his thanks and took a sip but the bubbly drink only served to remind him what he was missing. Without Yuuri, this whole ball seemed flat, like all of the fun had been drained away from it. He almost felt like scoffing at himself; he had been attending these dreary events for what felt like forever and Yuuri had only been at one. Still, he couldn't ignore the fact that he felt emptier. It was like he had had a taste of something magical that night at the Winter Ball and now, nothing but that taste would do. He looked back over at the door, hoping against hope that Yuuri would be standing at the top of the steps, but there was nobody standing there, just like the dozen other times he had looked up there.

He turned away, trying to get absorbed into the swell of conversation but his mind kept wandering back to what was potentially happening in Yuuri and Phichit's bedroom. Were they still there? He pondered anxiously, struggling to keep his fake smile in place. Was Yuuri having a panic attack? He had told Victor how badly he suffered from anxiety in Georgi's office and how it often restricted him by making him feel like he was worthless and couldn't do it. It had pained Victor to hear how he could sometimes think so little of himself and he could remember how he had taken Yuuri's hands and told him earnestly that he thought he was perfect. Yuuri had blushed and tried to hide his face in his robes, smiling sweetly at his words but Victor wasn't sure how much of it he had actually believed. It was clear that it was something he really struggled with and, if he was honest, Victor didn't know what to do. Anxiety wasn't really something he had seen at court; everyone here had to be confident and sure of themselves and their power or else they would never get anywhere. Yuuri wasn't anything like that and whilst Victor loved that about him, he was also very unsure of how to handle it. Maybe the robe was a bad idea, he thought with a just audible groan. It was probably too much for him too soon, I should have realised that…

The thought of Yuuri being upset at something he had done was enough to make him want to cry and tears had sprung to his eyes before he had even thought about composing himself. He hurriedly wiped them away, trying to make the action as discreet as possible but when he heard a sharp voice cut in from behind him, he realised he hadn't been successful.

"What are you snivelling about?" Yuri snapped as he walked up to him, his face creased in a frown that was only thinly veiled by a layer of his blond hair. Lilia had been unable to do his hair for the Imperial Dance as she was too busy trying to get the palace in order and, in a strop, Yuri had insisted on doing it himself. However, it turned out his many creative talents did not extend to hair-styling and his multiple attempts had failed, meaning he had been forced to leave it loose. His angry brushing caused his hair to fluff up dramatically and, even though he now looked like he had the hair of an angel, it had put him in even more of a sour mood. His demeanour hadn't been helped by the outfit their father had insisted on him wearing. After the Winter Ball and the fuss Yuri's rebellious purple suit had caused, the King had made Yuri dress in one of Victor's old robes from his first event. It was long and flowing in the style of a traditional robe and the silk was entirely silver with a black diamond pattern all over it. The collar was dark grey and high on his neck like a choker and the shoulders and sleeves were decorated with white silk frills that resembled licks of light flame. It was nothing like what Yuri usually wore and it was clear from the furious look on his face that he was hating every minute he had to spend in it.

"Well?" He glared at Victor sullenly as he sniffed and tried to look away, like it was his fault he was stuck in his old robes. "Is it because your envoy hasn't bothered to show up?"

"Shut up Yurio." Victor spat back, enjoying the furious look his brother gave him at the nickname. He had insisted on calling him Yurio since the morning he had known they shared a name and he still found it funny when he got so wound up about it. "He should be here soon anyway. I don't know why I'm worrying."

"So you are crying about it then. You soppy moron." Yuri huffed as he crossed his arms and went to walk away but when he heard a loud sniff from behind him, he hesitated. "Why are you so worried anyway? He's still got plenty of time, there are still tons of guests arriving. It's not a big deal."

"It's not that he's late," Victor admitted, slyly wiping his eyes again. "It's that he might not come at all. I fear I've pushed him too far and that I've scared him away by trying to do too much too soon… and now he won't want to be seen with me." His voice nearly cracked as he spoke and he might have crumbled if a handkerchief hadn't been suddenly thrusted in front of his nose.

"Urgh, stop being disgusting and wipe your face, for Christ's sake. You're going to cause a scene." Yuri told him, refusing to look in his direction but still waving the piece of embroidered white fabric in front of Victor's face so no one could see his reddening eyes. Victor took it gratefully and heartily blew his nose.

"Thank you Yurio. I really appreciate it."

"Tch." Yuri snorted dismissively. "I only did it because Father would get angry if you started bawling before the dance had even got underway. And, even though you forgot to the first time, you did get me out of the army so I do kind of owe you." He paused for a minute, waiting as Victor continued to correct his appearance, delicately wiping under his eyes and smoothing his robes before he tucked the handkerchief up his sleeve. "I'm sure your envoy or whatever he is will be along soon. He's probably just taking his time because he wants to make an entrance, everybody does it. Buch of morons, it just makes them look dumb because they're late."

Victor chuckled. "Yuuri isn't that kind of a person, Yurio. He hates drawing attention to himself usually- the Winter Ball was a bit of an exception."

"Then what's he doing courting you?" Yurio exclaimed angrily. "That's the best way to draw attention in this place! Is he stupid or what?!"

"I think we're both a little stupid right now." Victor said, looking down at the hem of his robe with a small fond smile before doubt flickered across his face again. "If he doesn't come… I don't know what I'll do Yurio. I've never felt like this about anyone before and even though it feels amazing most of the time, it hurts a lot too. I don't know what the future holds for us but it already doesn't look good, what with Father and everything else… What if he decides that all of this trouble, all of this drama isn't worth it? What if he decides I'm not worth it?"

Yuri tossed his head back and gave a long groan. "God, you're so overthinking this." Seeing his brother's face, he quickly straightened back up and continued to speak to him but in a much softer and less annoyed tone. "Listen, I don't think that's going to happen. Everyone at the Winter Ball saw how gross you two were being together and they would all have to be blind not to recognise that the two of you were being genuine. I saw the way that guy was looking at you and, even though it was sickening, I didn't doubt that he meant it." He paused, watching as Victor turned his head towards him and gave him a soft smile. "Now, don't get all sappy on me, but I don't think you have anything to worry about. Maybe the guy is a bit skittish but he will come. He won't want to let you down."

"Oh Yurio." Victor choked out, clasped his hands as his eyes welled up with tears again. "That's one of the sweetest things you've ever said to me! I knew you approved of us! Thank you!"

"Hey, don't start getting touchy-feely!" Yurio quickly recoiled as Victor spread his arms wide and moved towards him. "And anyway, I think there's someone here now who'll want to actually embrace you."

"What?" Victor said confused before he suddenly realised that not only had the chatter in the ballroom died down, leaving the music from the orchestra as the only sound, but all of the guests were staring at the entrance, their eyes wide in shock like there was a mystical creature standing there. Turning slowly, he followed their eyes as they continued to gawp at the doors and when he saw what was standing there, he gave a great gasp of his own.

Making his way slowly down the staircase, with a smug-looking Phichit following a few steps behind him, a resplendent looking Yuuri was walking towards him, decked in the finery of his robe. His head was head high as he descended the stairs and entered the ballroom and as he reached the crowd, they parted for him like the Red Sea. Victor felt his glass slip through his suddenly lax fingers and distantly heard it shattering but he barely even registered it, not even when the champagne soaked into the bottom of his robe. All he could do was stare breathlessly as Yuuri approached him, a small smirk on his lips like he knew exactly what he was doing to Victor.

"Holy shit." Victor heard Yuri curse loudly behind him as he jumped away to avoid the rapidly spreading puddle and he would have gone to reprimand him if he hadn't felt so powerless over his own body. As Yuuri approached, he could only drink in the sight of him like a parched man and he wondered why he hadn't asked Yuuri to wear his robes before. The garment fitted Yuuri like it had been made for him, the black fabric skimming the lines of his body like it was embracing them. The slim bodice and tight trousers had a long cloak draped from its shoulders that spilled down Yuuri's back and brushed the floor and a short skirt panel that hung over one hip, only just making the outfit qualify as a robe. The cloak and skirt were both lined with a shockingly-bright scarlet that perfectly matched the hue of Yuuri's lips and Victor could feel his mouth going dry as he tried not to think of what that lipstick would taste like. Part of the bodice and one long sleeve had been made out of thin mesh and the thought that he was so close to baring skin in front of everyone was making his cheeks flush a light rose colour and making Victor feel like he was going to swoon. The outfit was set off by several large chunks of glittering gems that were slashed across his shoulders and down his sides. They made Yuuri look like he was wearing the stars and when he had crossed the ballroom to stand in front of Victor, he was surprised he didn't sink to his own knees in worship. Yuuri looked like a god of the night sky who had come down from the heavens to bless him and Victor felt lost in awe. Somewhere in his mind, he recalled the comment Chris made about Yuuri being the servant of Eros and he almost wanted to laugh. In this outfit, and with that look on his face, Yuuri could have been Eros himself.

"Your Highness." Yuuri practically purred as he stood a few paces from Victor and sunk into a low curtesy. His robes spilled onto the floor like black ink and Victor couldn't drag his eyes away. All the air felt like it had been punched from his lungs and as he stared at the figure before him, he couldn't quite believe that he was real. All around him, he could hear the mutterings of the shocked courtiers, some of whom were staring at Yuuri like he had dared to wear rags.

"What on earth is he wearing?"

"It can't be that robe, the Crown Prince would surely never…"

"That has to be it, what other garment looks like that?"

"I've never seen anything like this in my life! It's scandalous!"

Victor felt like snorting. The only thing that was scandalous to him was that nobody had thought to dress Yuuri like this before. It was practically criminal for him not to be appreciated for how stunning he was and as he slowly rose and looked back up at Victor, he was even more floored than before.

"You came." He whispered, watching as Yuuri gave him a soft smile.

"I did." He said shakily, almost as if he couldn't believe it himself. He then held out his hand in a flourish and grinned at him. "May I have this next dance, Your Highness?"

Victor took his hand with a wide smile, feeling how Yuuri's fingers curled tightly around it. "Of course."

They turned and walked out onto the dance floor amid a flurry of mutterings and shocked gasps. Victor could feel the eyes on everyone there on him but surprisingly, he felt weightless, like he was floating on air. He suddenly found that it didn't matter to him that everyone was watching them; all he cared about was the fact that Yuuri was there, holding onto his hand. And it was a wondrous feeling.

He felt Yuuri squeeze his hand and when he turned his head to look at him, he was smiling shyly. "You look wonderful Victor." He said and Victor chuckled again.

"I look wonderful?" He softly grinned at him. "Have you seen yourself Yuuri? You are stunning tonight."

Yuuri blushed. "It was mainly Phichit. He helped a lot."

"I'll have to give him a raise." Victor murmured. "Or a knighthood."

Yuuri threw his head back and laughed just as they reached the centre of the ballroom and they both turned to properly face each other. In unison, they stepped forwards so their bodies were only a few inches apart and Victor wasted no time putting one hand firmly in Yuuri's and the other on his hip. He felt Yuuri start a little at the unexpected contact and he grinned again. It still amused him how sultry he could be one minute and yet so innocent in the next. He could sense Yuuri was getting nervous from the delicate way he placed his other hand on Victor's shoulder and he gave his hand a squeeze.

"Don't worry." He whispered to him as more couples poured onto the dancefloor around them and the tapping sound of a conductor's baton signified the next dance was about to start. "Don't focus on them, don't even think about them. It's just you and me in here, no one else."

Yuuri opened his mouth, intent on telling him that that really wasn't the case, but before he could say anything, the music started with a great swell of string instruments and Victor started leading him in a waltz. He started slowly, moving them in small circles as the other couples dipped and swirled their way around them. He wasn't quite sure how Yuuri would take to it; he had seen Yuuri's dancing abilities first-hand and seen how impressive they were when he had no inhibitions but he was aware this was an entirely different situation and he didn't want to alarm him. However, he quickly realised that he had had nothing to fear as Yuuri effortlessly glided into the dance like a swan into water. The two of them were easily able to flow around the dancefloor and, as more people joined the dance and hid them better in the crowd, Victor was able to nudge Yuuri a little closer as the music changed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked him, giving him a look of concern. "I was worried earlier when you were running late- I thought you were panicking and you weren't going to come."

"I was." Yuuri said with a slightly pained look. It seemed strange to him now that barely half an hour ago, he had been weeping on Phichit's shoulder believing that the night would be a disaster. Now, as he and Victor spun around the ballroom, he felt like he was in heaven and his previous anxiety just seemed foolish. "I really was scared about coming out here but Phichit convinced me that everything would be fine and it would go well. And he was right." He gave Victor a smile and the Crown Prince smiled back overjoyed.

"I'm glad." He told him happily. "And it seems I have a lot to thank Phichit for tonight. I'll definitely get him a knighthood."

Yuuri laughed again. "Just find a way for him to have unlimited camera reels and he'll be a happy man."

"Consider it done." Yuuri laughed again and Victor felt almost giddy at the sound as he went to spin Yuuri under his arm. Hearing Yuuri laugh was like being exposed to pure sunlight and he wasn't sure how much of it he could take without his heart giving out. As Yuuri twirled, he took the opportunity to put his hand on the small of his back and draw him closer, to the point where their bodies were touching. He could only just hear the second wave of gasps that rippled through the room and he fancied that he could hear Yakov somewhere grinding his teeth in frustration but he ignored it all. It was worth it simply to see the blush that rose on Yuuri's cheeks and the small surprised noise he made when he realised how close Victor's face was to his.

"Aren't people going to have an issue with this?" He asked and Victor could hear how his eyebrow raised in his voice. His tone was playful rather than scandalised and the slight cheekiness of the question only spurred him on.

"Maybe." He answered, letting his hand move half an inch lower. As the music swelled, he elegantly turned and dipped Yuuri, letting him drop so low, his head nearly brushed the floor. Yuuri laughed as he opened his eyes and saw a row of shocked faces staring at him. He felt secure and safe in Victor's arms and his dancing instincts made him lean his head back, exposing the long line of his neck to everyone. As Victor lifted him up, Yuuri let a giggle escape him but he himself was surprised when suddenly Victor leant over and kissed him on the cheek in full view of everyone. He stared at him with wide eyes, his body frozen for a short moment, until Victor warmly smiled back at him.

"But who cares?"

 _Interesting and very random fact: the word imperial can also mean a small pointed beard growing below the lower lip associated with Napoleon III of France. How crazy is that?_


End file.
